Food for Thought
by YoungestCullen8
Summary: Kim Won has an issue. He's engaged to a woman he barely knows when his ex-girlfriend shows up. It throws his world into utter chaos, but when he employs the sister of his assistant to help cater his wedding, he finds someone he can talk to when he needs it the most. But she's got more going on than he understands. Will he be able to handle his issues? R&R
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I started watching a new drama to ease my stress at a new job. Choi Jin Hyuk was in this drama and it reminded me of his drama the Heirs. So here is that story. I was drawing a diagram to make it all make sense to me. Now it may take a few days before I can post because I'm super busy every day now so bear with me.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

"Let the planning meeting now commence. Preparations for President Kim's thirty-third birthday are starting."

Kim Won rolled his eyes at the fancy way his personal assistant made everything sound way more important than it should. Lee Hyun Joon was a crazy man with crazy ideas. He had been friends with Won since they had started the company all those years ago. Hyun Joon may be a couple of years younger, but he never treated Won like an older brother. Come to think of it, he never had called him hyung or anything like that. He was a very snarky and disrespectful young man.

Won couldn't help the smile that spread as he heard his best friend and assistant persuade the people grouped together to go all out for his birthday. If there was one thing Hyun Joon was good at, it was making sure people did what he said. He was very charismatic and no one could say no to him.

The meeting took way too long. There couldn't be that much they had to do for a simple birthday party. Like usual Hyun Joon was getting his way. He was going all out, which should be a crime because that meant they were going to be spending a lot of money on useless things.

"What about a caterer?" the party planner asked. "Do you know one that has a cheap bottom line but decent food?"

Hyun Joon nodded. "I do. She's very easy to get along with as well. I'm sure you'll want to meet her and give her a list of your favorite foods."

"That's not necessary. I trust your judgment," Won said. He closed his notebook and stood. "We will meet again this afternoon for things that are about the company."

He received a chorus of affirmations and left the room. It was lunch time and he was ready to eat. That or his stomach was ready to eat him. He hadn't had breakfast since he had been in a rush and he was paying the price for it.

Lazily he headed for the elevator. He couldn't get ready for his birthday because he was getting ready to get married. His stepmother was handling the wedding plans with his fiancé but he still had to have some input. It was his wedding after all.

He stepped off the elevator and nearly ran into a blond headed woman. She stopped in her tracks and looked up at him. Not very tall, she barely came up to his shoulders. She stepped back and bowed before stepping around him and sticking her hand in the elevator doors to keep them open. She must have a person in the building she was visiting.

Not paying any more attention, he continued on his way. He was supposed to meet Yang Da Kyung a couple of blocks away so there wasn't any need to take a car. He needed the exercise any way.

He ran into Da Kyung as soon as he walked up to the restaurant. She was coming from the opposite direction and smiled when she saw him. It wasn't full of love, but more of a fondness that he had yet to feel. They had been engaged for more than a year and had pushed the wedding back as far as they could. Her father had invested in the company and had been working well with his group. Now they were finally getting down to the nitty gritty.

They went into the restaurant and discussed only the wedding. There was no discussion of how they were feeling or how their day was going. They were strictly business. They had agreed that that was the best course of action for them. They weren't going to live together either. They would be married but separated. It was something they decided would be all right as long as they decided to stay married.

It wasn't a huge affair. They ate then said their goodbyes. It barely lasted half an hour. Won was on his way back to the office fifteen minutes before he was supposed to return. His employees were going to think something was wrong with him because he couldn't keep an ongoing conversation with his fiancé.

"Kim Won!" He turned at the sound of his name. Hyun Joon was coming towards him with the blond headed woman he had seen as he stepped off the elevator. He could see the family resemblance between them and knew instantly who she was.

"Won, this is the chef I was telling you about. Soohyun, this is Kim Won, CEO of Jeguk Group. Won, this is Lee Soohyun. She's one of the best chefs at Zeus Hotel and my sister," Hyun Joon explained.

Won looked at the woman. She inclined her head to him but didn't say anything. He could see her eyes were sharp even if she was quiet. She seemed interested in whatever her older brother was spouting as he stared at her.

"Did you hear a word I said?" the younger man demanded.

Won heard the woman snort as she smiled at her brother's outburst. So she wasn't deaf. "I heard you, Hyun Joon. You talk too much though."

Soohyun smiled and turned towards the crosswalk in front of the company. "You should hear our grandmother say the same things to him. He doesn't stop when he gets home."

Hyun Joon sputtered as he followed her with his gaze. "Oh, be quiet! Grandmother never says anything about my mouth."

"Probably because she can never get a word in edgewise."

Annoyed and slightly fuming, much to Won's amusement, the younger man looked like an indignant woman. "Where are you going?"

"Unlike you I have work to do. If you're going to bring your boss with you, come on. Otherwise, close your mouth. No one wants to look at a human fish."

Won looked down at the younger man as he turned back to him. "You don't have any meetings this afternoon until two. Would you like to see how she works? She's typically quiet unless I'm involved. We're siblings so I typically annoy her."

The head of the company was curious about what else the woman could do. If she could get Hyun Joon to shut up long enough to hear what someone else said, she was doing the best job of a little sister.

It was only a few blocks but it seemed like it would take forever. There were so many people on the streets he was wishing he had taken the car instead of walking.

But they finally arrived at one of the most expensive hotels in Seoul and went in. Everyone was crowded in the restaurant for lunch. No matter where he walked, everyone knew Hyun Joon, so much so that they called him by his first name and with the impolite terms.

They walked into the kitchen, and Won was not surprised to see Choi Young Do washing dishes. The heir to the company had to fulfill his father's wishes before he could even think of inheriting the hotels. Even though his father was in jail, he still came every afternoon to do his job.

They rounded a huge set of metal racks and ran smack dab into the ovens and stoves. Soohyun was already working, a vegetable knife in her hands. The blade slid through the food with ease.

Won looked at the woman. Her blond hair was pulled back at the base of her neck. She was so focused that it was hard to take his eyes off her. A couple of the others came over to ask her about what she thought about their dishes. She was brutally honest. One guy looked near tears as he had to go back and start over. But through all of that, she was kind through her honesty.

"Hey, Soo Hyun, how could you say all that about me?" Hyun Joon asked as soon as he stepped up beside her.

She glanced over. "Step back. You shouldn't be that close to the dishes without a hairnet on." When he did, she continued what she was doing. "What I said was true. You talk ninety to nothing and don't let anyone else get a word in. Now I understand why Kim Won hired you, you persuasive butthead."

Won laughed at their bluntness. They argued all the time it seems. He looked around the kitchen at everyone working in sync with each other. They were all able to discuss what dishes they were making for lunch.

"Are you in charge of everyone?" he asked.

"No. I'm usually over in the desserts, but today one of our veggie peoples is out sick with the flu. I had to shift over for now. I'll go back to desserts in a bit," she answered.

"Can you discuss what kind of cake Won would like?" Hyun Joon asked.

"Are you allergic to anything?"

Won thought about it for a split second then shook his head. "No, but I don't like overly sweet things."

Soohyun thought it over as she spooned the vegetables into a bowl and shoved it down the line. She tossed her knife into a container of soapy water before leaving the station. Hyun Joon motioned for him to stay put as she walked away. She returned a few moments later with a huge book.

"We have sugarless and alternative sweeteners. If you don't like sugars, I can always make it with applesauce and it's not as sweet. As for the hors d'oeuvres, I can come up with anything. Just let me know what you'd like," she said.

Won took the huge book from her and flipped through it. Soohyun answered questions from the others as they passed her. He placed his fingers in a few places then handed it back to her. She mimicked where his fingers were and took the book back.

"Try your best to make those to the best of your abilities," he said.

"Try? Soohyunie was the top of her class in culinary school. She can recreate anything. Just ask her," Hyun Joon said.

"Oppa, shut up. Now I have work to do. I have to help make preparations for dinner." She bowed slightly then disappeared into the fray of people.

Hyun Joon looked at Won as the other man watched his sister walk away. Usually he didn't like any man looking at his sister, but in this case Won was engaged to be married. He wasn't an issue because there was no way he was going to jeopardize his company. He could look all he wanted.

"When will she have everything done?" Won asked as they headed out of the kitchen to the dining hall.

"Soohyun is very dedicated. She runs the catering service out Zeus. She is very sweet and gentle but when it comes down to work she is slightly anal. It will be ready by your company birthday party," Hyun Joon answered. "I can always give you her number and you can get in contact with her if you have any changes you want to make. She's fairly easy to get along with."

"I have no doubt about that. She can put you in your place like no one I've ever seen."

Won smiled as his assistant sputtered. "She has way too much information on me that I don't want anyone to find out."

"She is your sister."

"Half-sister actually. We have the same father but different mothers, much like you and Tan."

The CEO stopped at the crosswalk and looked at him. "Is she an illegitimate like Tan?"

Hyun Joon shook his head. "No, I am. I was born just after his marriage to Eun Soo, Soohyun's mother. My mother had been his college girlfriend until she had moved to Thailand. When I was born, she was barely making enough to support herself but she tried for a while. Unfortunately it didn't last. So she called my dad and asked if he could take me. Luckily Eun Soo was very welcoming of me. She took me in and raised me like I was hers. She didn't even change her attitude when Soohyun was born. I was treated like I was her blood son."

"Does she allow you to call her mom?"

The young man nodded. "Yeah, I have two moms and I'm okay with that."

"Is she still alive? I'd like to meet her someday."

"No, unfortunately she was killed in a car accident when Soohyun was nine. Dad raised the two of us alone. He worked hard to send Soohyun to culinary school in France, Seoul, and Tokyo. Every time she comes home, she makes a week's worth of food for us."

"For us? You still live at home?"

"Dad has early on-set dementia. His oldest friend in the world stays with him during the day. I pay him hourly plus bonuses for holidays. Then I stay home with him at night. Soohyun comes over a couple of times a month and makes sure we have what we need. It's why I work so hard and why she runs both the kitchen and catering services. We're putting movie back just in case it takes him before his time."

Won understood why Hyun Joon worked as hard as he did. He had an ailing father to support. He had to work hard to make sure the man who took him in when he didn't have to could live comfortably in his disability. It showed how decent a man he raised. To have two children who were willing to work for their parents meant they were one of the best filial families he had met. Better than him. He was going to support them as much as he could.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: If I get two chapters up at any given time I think I'm doing well. On certain days I won't be able to write until my dad gets home. I won't have computer access until then. I have so much I have to do every day it's amazing I get up and remember my cup of coffee in the morning. I'm pretty sure if I left that at home, I would die before the day ends. I don't do well without coffee of a morning.

I already have this story roughly planned out in my head. It's a different take on all of my other stories. This time there is no KPOP stars in this one, but the story plot is a little darker and more emotional. I have been through what one of the characters is going through in a secondhand experience. If it makes you cry, remember I more than likely bawled while writing it. This story will be hard for me to get through. Comments are welcomed like usual, but if they're mean, there's a high probability I will yank this story. Just a warning.

($($($($($($($($(

"What does Dad need?" Soohyun asked as she pushed the shopping cart through the grocery store.

Hyun Joon darted away from her as soon as the words left her mouth. She shook her head and continued to meander through the store. This always happened. When they would grocery shop for their father, he would always disappear and get the things he wanted before they bought anything for the man that raised them. That was fine. Hyun Joon had a strange palate. He liked overly spicy things their father couldn't handle.

It had always been this way. They could always figure out what each other needed by a simple look on their faces. Hyun Joon didn't even have to call before they decided they needed to go grocery shopping. Somehow they always ended up meeting in front of the grocery store at the same time. It was generally at the same time every other week.

This week hadn't been any different. They had showed up at the grocery store in their father's neighborhood at the same time after they had gotten off work. Without a word they had walked in. Now they were running around looking for food. Well, Hyun Joon was running around. Soohyun was simply walking.

She grabbed a bag of rice and tossed it in the cart. Hyun Joon went through a ten pound bag of rice a week. He inhaled everything he ate so she had to keep doubles of everything. Her pantry was overstocked with random assortments of things her brother would randomly ask for on any given day.

But what the man needed were veggies. She headed to the produce aisle and pulled onions, peppers, eggplant and anything else she knew her father would eat. He wasn't too picky. Hyun Joon was. Then again he was allergic to a few things so he tended to shy away from anything healthy. He ate more meat than anything. Meat and rice.

He popped up as she was pulling onions and cabbage for a thing of kimchi she was going to make. He dumped an armful of spices and some canned meats into the cart. She shook her head at him again as he darted off on another aisle. Soohyun headed towards the meat aisle and decided that chicken and beef were on the list for these weeks. Her dad liked beef but never got to eat it because Hyun Joon couldn't afford it weekly.

She pulled the best grade of beef and put it in the basket. Once she sautéed some onions and garlic, she would flash fry the cutlets until they were well-done. Her dad would enjoy it and that's all that mattered.

Hyun Joon was out of breath as he came up with another armload of food. He didn't seem to be as happy now that he was loaded down with heavy things. He dumped his load again but this time he sighed and took time to catch his breath. He looked tired all of a sudden.

"Go to the baking aisle and pick up some baking soda and baking powder," she said.

"Don't you have that at the kitchen?" he asked as he started off.

"I need it for my personal kitchen. Run off."

Normally it was the older sibling that was bossy, but when it came to cooking, Soohyun was the boss. Hyun Joon could boss her around any other time but when it came to the kitchen, and he did his best when he was in a mood.

He returned a few minutes later and they were ready to check out. Splitting the bill had always been their way of keeping things even. Soohyun kept wondering if it was because she always ended up with more stuff but the bills always ended up even. She never understood it, and after a day or so it never really mattered.

Loaded down with food purchases, they made the heavy two block trek to their dad's house. They talked about how their days had gone and what had happened at work. Hyun Joon had worked out a new agreement with one of the sub-companies they worked with. It had been a complete headache but somehow he had endured.

Soohyun had started on the catering order, experimenting with things she thought maybe Kim Won would like. She knew he was going to want things standard and simple, but she had to try. Whether he chose the simple option or the eclectic option was all based on how she sold it. She was going to make sure Zeus Hotel Catering always won the bid when it came to Jeguk Group's catered parties.

They walked up the two flights it took to get to their childhood home and walked in the front door. The lights were out and their dad was nowhere in sight. Hyun Joon wandered to the older man's room and peeked inside. He put a finger to his lips and crept back into the kitchen.

Soohyun started cooking as her brother put the rest of the groceries away. He tucked her two purchases into her leather bag then put the plastic bags in the recycling. He took whatever bowl she handed him and stirred or whisked its contents. When he was done, he handed it back to her and took another one to help keep the flow going.

"How did your doctor's appointment go yesterday?" he asked as he sipped a glass of red wine while sitting on the counter.

She dumped the onions into the seasoned olive oil and listened to them simmer. "It went well. Dr. Kang said I was doing well. If I stay in remission, he won't have to see me again for another three months."

"So he thinks the leukemia is gone?"

She shook her head. "Not gone, but docile. He says there are still traces of it in my system but it's not attacking me at the moment. He wants me to continue taking my medication hoping it stays away for as long as possible."

"I hope it does as well. I don't want to see you lose your hair or miss work again."

Soohyun smiled over her shoulder at him. Two years ago she had been diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after she had felt strangely tired and had a bruise that wouldn't disappear after a few weeks. Her oncologist/hematologist, Dr. Kang Si Won, had put her on a rigorous course of chemotherapy and radiation. She had missed nearly three months of work and lost all her hair.

To keep from showing the tiredness that followed chemo and radiation, she had started wearing colored contacts and wearing a blond wig to cover up her bald head. Luckily her job hadn't held it against her and her position had been waiting for her when she had returned nearly a year ago.

When she had gone into remission nearly eight months ago, they had put her on a medicine regiment. They had surmised she wasn't high-risk at the moment so her dosages were low. She had been going in for blood work every month just to make sure all of her white blood cells were normal and in high count. So far she had passed with flying colors so she had been given a lower dosage of medication with strict orders not to do anything strenuous.

During everything, Hyun Joon had stood beside her. He had picked up her medicines when she couldn't move out of the bed. When she had puked her guts up because she was sick from chemo, he had sat beside her in the bathroom and held her hair back from her face as she leaned over the toilet. He had been the one to shave her head when her hair had started falling out. He had bought her first wig, a bright green piece that she still wore from time to time even though she was getting hair real hair back.

Hyun Joon grabbed her arm when she lifted her hand to rub her face. "Did he ask about this bruise?"

She nodded. "He did. I only got it two days ago so we weren't too worried. I'm to keep an eye on it. If it deepens and refuses to disappear in the next week, I'm to go back for blood work."

"Maybe you should keep a picture documentation of it."

"I'm way ahead of you."

Hyun Joon started to do the dishes as the breakfast stew simmered and the beef cooled on the racks. She packaged the kimchi and put the date on it. She separated the rest of the food into meals for the evenings. Their dad's friend made him lunch and Hyun Joon made breakfast. He was taken care of on all aspects.

"Soohyunie." She turned around as she shoved her feet into her shoes. She needed to head home to start on preparations for the next day. Hyun Joon shoved a paper bag into her hands. "Take it."

She looked down into the bag then looked up. "Why are you giving me some of this? It's for you and Dad."

"You're going to be working crazy hours in the next few days to get this birthday party ready. I know how you eat. You snack on whatever leftovers you have. Hors d'oeuvres and sweets aren't going to be enough. You have to maintain your diet." He pushed her hand to her chest. "Take it. Don't argue with your oppa. I worry about Dad. Don't make me worry about you as well."

Soohyun nodded and waved goodbye. Her brother had always been the one to shoulder all the burdens. When their mom had died and their family had gone down to one paycheck, he had gotten a couple of part-time jobs to make sure the bills were paid and she had a little bit of spending money when she wanted to go out.

He had taken on way too much at a young age so she always did what she could to ease his agony. Taking some of the food she had made for him and her dad was a small way of doing so. She would do that for him every chance she got. It didn't matter that she may not eat what he had given her.

She stopped at the coffee shop right before her bus. She rarely drove her car unless she absolutely had to. It was an unneeded appliance she had to take care of as well. Hyun Joon had gotten it for her when she had graduated culinary school. It had taken her six tries to pass her license test and now she rarely used it. She didn't like the traffic of the city enough to drive through it.

"Lee Soohyun?" She turned around to see Kim Won standing at the ready order area. She smiled at him, bottom lip tucked between her teeth. "What are you doing out this late?"

"I was over at my father's making meals for the next week and a half. I was just about to head home. This coffee shop is in front of my bus stop," she answered. She accepted her ready coffee and turned to him fully. "Why are you here? Isn't it a bit far from your house and office?"

"I was meeting with a client on this side of town. We just let out." He tilted his head. "Would you like to sit with me? I heard the bus was going to be slightly late."

She followed his hand to an empty table, sitting with her back to the wall so she could people watch. He sat in front of her with a piece of bread.

"I thought you didn't like sweets," she said.

"This is banana bread. It's not too sweet," he replied.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "There's a cup of sugar and a tablespoon of vanilla extract combined with bananas that are naturally sweet."

Won laughed at her confused expression. If anyone knew about sweet things, she would be the one. He took a bite just to make a point. She shook her head at him then looked out the window.

"How is your dad doing?" She looked at him. "Hyun Joon told me that he was a dementia patient."

"Oppa has a big mouth, but he's doing fine. He has his good days and bad days. Today was a good day. Tomorrow may be different."

"Is there anything the company can do to help?"

She shook her head. "He's under Oppa's insurance so your company is taking care of him anyway, but thank you." She looked out the window. "My bus is here."

He caught her hand as she stood and tried to walk by him. "Why don't I take you home? I don't feel right sending you home on the bus."

She smiled. "Do you even offer this to your fiancé?" His face fell a bit. "I didn't think so. I know Oppa gave you my number. If you have anything you'd like to ask about your party, feel free to call or text me."

Won watched her walk outside and get on the bus. She was sweet and even-tempered even though she ripped into her brother on a regular basis. She didn't have to take on his party, but she had. He was certain she was going to do well with it too. He may end up hiring her for his wedding since he didn't have a caterer for that either and that was his job to find.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I can't believe Christmas break is almost here. This year shouldn't have gone by as quickly as it did! Don't get me wrong! I don't want to relieve half of the things I went through, but I found an awesome online family that make it all worth the heartache and pain. I can write it with these characters and you completely understand! You guys don't realize how much I really love my readers!

I figured I might as well say thanks for not murdering me when you read chapter two. I always give my heroine something to work against because they say a man is supposed to be the strong one in a relationship. I like to poop all over that statement. Women are just as strong as much as they are sassy. That's why my females are always boisterous and crazy.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

Won looked over the outrageous budget Hyun Joon had handed him only moments before. The coward had run away immediately. Won hadn't really thought anything about it. Usually the younger man did so when something crazy came up that he knew Won would hate. This time was completely different.

He had given him the budget for the birthday party. He had better be glad he had run. The budget was way over what they had planned, nearly three times as much. And none of it was because of the food. The food was usually the item on the list that killed him, but it wasn't in this case. The most expensive thing was the flowers. He didn't even like flowers.

He tossed the folder onto his desk and tried his best to control the tic in his jaw. His employees were trying to get him killed or tossed in jail for killing them. They spent more money than he ever did on company parties.

Normally his company parties cost about a million Won. He did his best to keep it as low key as much as possible. They had them at an intimate bar where they could be in a small place. The rental of the space was usually the most expensive. That was it. He couldn't understand why his employees wanted to go all out on his birthday.

There was a knock at his door. It took him a few moments to welcome his guest because he was trying to get his temper in check.

When he finally answered, he was pleasantly surprised when Soohyun walked in. She carried a big box and a bag at her side. She placed both on his conference table as he got up from his seat.

He came up beside her and looked over her shoulder as she pulled items from the box. There were an assortment of desserts in colorful containers and marked by their contents. She unloaded the bag with random food items. This time it was normal food, and no sweets. She had common sense sometimes.

"What's all this?" he asked as he looked it over.

"The boxes are the samples of desserts obviously. These," she pointed to the other containers, "are food I made last night. You hadn't had any lunch according to Oppa so I brought this as well."

"What is it?"

"A simple fried rice recipe I came up with in culinary school. I make it when I don't have time to come up with anything for dinner. Last night I worked on those so I didn't have time." She passed her hand over the desserts as she spoke.

"Would you join me?"

Soohyun sat down and watched as he dug into the box lunch. He ate like he had never eaten before. He was so excited he was cute.

Won looked up when he noticed Soohyun wasn't eating. She was staring out into the space behind his head as she picked at her fingernails absentmindedly. He watched her with a slight smile. Many people were intimidated by him as he sat across the table from them.

"Soohyun-ssi," he said. She looked at him and he watched her contacts slide into place. "You're not going to eat?" he asked.

Soohyun shook her head. "I sampled the desserts before I arrived. I'm not really hungry."

He sat back. "You're making me feel like a gluttonous pig. I could eat all of this."

"Go ahead," she urged. "It's less I have to take back home. My fridge is full of food I haven't finished eating from the last week. I have a habit of making things that I want but never end up finishing them."

"Feel free to bring whatever leftovers you have to my house or office any time."

She laughed. "Glad to know you like my food."

"If the birthday party goes well, I may have you cater my wedding."

He didn't miss the fact that she raised a shocked eyebrow at him. "You're getting married?"

"At the Zeus Hotel. It's been in the works for the better part of a year, and in two months it will happen. I'm in charge of the food and rings. I have the rings, but food is not my forte."

"Luckily for you it's mine. I will gladly cater your wedding. Just give me the date."

Won finished the lunch and looked at the beautifully decorated desserts sitting in the boxes. He read the cards on each of them and decided to sample one of each just to be sure he wasn't missing out on anything.

Hyun Joon hadn't been kidding when he said his sister was a genius with sweets. Whatever he tasted came alive on his mouth. The spiciness from the fried rice was overpowered by the sweetness of the cupcake and sweet bread. She had made enough for him and someone else to eat on for a day. He figured she had made them for his office.

He sampled the cheesecake cupcakes and realized he had found his favorite dessert. He picked up the card she had included with each one. It was a lemon zinger cheesecake. There was the same amount of cheesecake mix but she had added a little more lemon juice to give it the zip.

He pointed at it. "I want this one."

Soohyun smiled as he took another bite. He stopped at her slow smile. "I'll make it just like I do for my dad," she said.

"Your dad likes this one?"

She nodded. "It's his favorite dessert I make."

"I would be honored to have this as my birthday dessert."

She nodded and started packing things up. Suddenly she stopped and turned on him. It happened so fast they were nearly chest to chest. Won sucked in a breath as the smell of cinnamon wafted up from the bare skin on her neck.

"Why are you getting married to someone you don't even love?" she asked. He opened his mouth to answer but she continued. "Didn't you have a girlfriend you were crazy about?"

He licked his finger in the most undignified manner. "Did your brother tell you about it?"

"He's got a big mouth remember." She tilted her head at him. "Why are you getting married when you don't even love the woman?"

Won sat on the table and picked up another cupcake. "What makes you think I don't?"

"First, there are no pictures of the two of you together anywhere. In fact there are none of your family at all. Second, I have never seen here around. And third, you don't look like a man in love. They say women are always bright and bubbly right before their weddings and when they are expecting a child. The same could be said about men."

"It's a marriage based on wealth. I need her family money and she needs mine. We agree that it's not based on love."

"And what about your children? What will they say when they find out their mother and father don't like each other?"

"We like each other just fine. We just don't love each other. There's nothing wrong with that."

"So you're just going to grow old with fondness? Does that even sound fun to you?"

Won was confused. He had only known this woman for a maximum of two weeks. They had talked on multiple occasions about what he would like at the party. The food food had already been taken care of. He had just been waiting on her to get back to him about the desserts. Now she was worried about him when she barely knew him personally. It didn't make any sense to him.

Soohyun didn't think she was being overly nosy. From what Hyun Joon had said, Won wasn't thrilled about getting married. He had had a girlfriend for nearly two years but she had left when he had shown more interest in his company. It could be skewed a bit, but that was how her brother told it. Knowing Won the little she did, she knew he didn't tolerate subpar methods. He had to truly love that woman enough to let her go.

But it still didn't answer why he was willing to throw his happiness away on an arranged marriage. She had been lucky that her family hadn't demanded she marry to someone she didn't know or like. She was a chef with bad health. No one wanted to touch that with a six foot pole, but she was okay with that. Won was a healthy man who could do whatever he wanted. So why wasn't he?

They stared at each other for the longest. One was legitimately curious and the other was wondering where the curiosity came from. But the latter (Won) was instantly smitten with the way she cared about him when she didn't even know him. She had her brother's charm when it came to caring about people. She was genuinely kind.

"I think I may have overstayed my welcome," she muttered.

Soohyun finished packing the lunch boxes and zipped the bag. She bowed to Won then started for the door.

Won wrapped his hand around her elbow and pulled her to a stop. He stepped into her personal bubble as he spun her around to face him. Once again he was enveloped in a light smell of cinnamon.

"Don't ever be embarrassed for asking the tough questions. The only person who ever questions my choices is my brother. Now you. Feel free to bombard me with things when you think I'm being stupid," he said. He searched her face as his eyes were drawn back to the small teeth tugging on her bottom lip. "I hope you will consider me your friend from now on."

She looked up at him. "Does that mean I can say whatever I want to you?"

He smiled. "Haven't you already? There's a big difference from you and your brother though. You don't say it to make yourself look better. You're just genuinely curious and you have a good heart."

She mirrored his smile, eyes lighting up as she tilted her head to the side. "I have to get back to the hotel. Call me if you get bored."

"What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Tomorrow is my night off. Why?"

"Come to my place and teach me how to cook that fried rice."

"All right. I'll be going."

Won let her arm go and she disappeared out his door. Not too long after she did, her brother graced his office with his presence. As soon as he saw the very colorful boxes, he flounced over to the table and pulled a cupcake from the box.

"Soohyun's been here hasn't she?" he asked as he stuffed his face.

"I'm surprised you didn't meet her on your way out. She just left," Won said as he closed the boxes.

"She's surprisingly good at hiding in plain sight. When she returned home from France, she was standing right in front of me as I looked for her. I'm used to it by now." He looked at the boxes as his boss closed them. "Which one did you choose?"

"The lemon zinger cheesecake cupcakes."

"I'm surprised she put that one in there. Usually it's only saved for our family." He made a face. "Oh well."

Won looked up. "What's so special about it?"

"Our mom use to make it for us. Soohyun just adds a little more lemon juice than she did, but Dad eats it either way. He says it reminds him of happy times. He's lucid every time she makes it."

"She's very gifted."

"Don't tell her that. I'll never hear the end of it. It's not like she has a bloated ego. She'll just nag me for telling you so much."

The boss man laughed. "Trust me. She's already nagging me."

Hyun Joon made a childish stomp in the floor that made Won laugh even harder. "Don't let her do that. She's bad about doing things she really shouldn't."

"She's a good friend though isn't she?"

The younger man looked at his boss with mouth gaping wide open. "No, no, no. You can't do that. You can't be friends with my sister."

Won frowned. "Why not?"

"Because I come to work to get away from her. If you're her friend, that won't happen. She'll yap about you more than make me food."

"You don't want your sister to have friends with your co-workers because you might lose food?" His underling nodded. "Are you an idiot or something?"

"Or something. By the way, you have a meeting shortly. You might want to head on."

"Take the rest of those sweets to the others, but leave the cheesecake. Those are mine."

Hyun Joon watched the door close to the office. The dumb smile on his face fell as he stared at the wooden structure. He sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's not that I don't want you to be friends with her. I just don't want her to get hurt when you get married, and I don't want you to take on the burden of her illness when you fall for her. Let's face it, Won. There's no doubt that you have already fallen for my sister. It's hard not to."

With another sigh, he stacked the boxes one on top of the other and left the office to do as he had been told.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: frustration doesn't begin to explain my feelings of Friday. That's all I'm going to say.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

Soohyun stared at her oven for a long time before the buzzer dinged that the cake was cool enough to frost. She had always had a bad habit of making sure it was completely preheated before she placed anything in it. Things just tasted better to her when she did it that way. By actually following the directions it took a little longer for things to bake and that meant it took longer for things to cool.

She had been asked to make a birthday cake for one of her co-workers' kids. The little girl was turning four and wanted a very frilly butterfly cake in the colors of purple and pink. Soohyun had huge bins of fondant in her pantry so she could easily cover the cake in fondant, and once she made the frosting she would finish it.

She was in the middle of frosting the top when her doorbell rang. Quickly, she dropped the metal spatula on the counter and ran to the door. She was surprised to see Won on the other side but she had a cake to finish. She motioned him inside and hurried back to her pastry.

Won caught the door as Soohyun darted back inside her house and followed her in. He slipped his shoes off and walked in, wondering what had forced her to run away as fast as she had.

He walked into the open floor plan and looked around. She obviously hadn't decorated because it was too stuffy for her personality but he knew she had lived there. He saw all the fluffy food stuffs all over the wall and figured out pretty quickly that Hyun Joon had been the one to decorate the house. It had his ostentatiousness all over it.

He wasn't surprised to find her in the kitchen. Setting the bag in one stool, he took the other and watched her. Soohyun was focused as she took the knife and pulled it around the circular cake. She pulled the excess pieces off and set them aside as before taking a piping bag and filling it with what looked like homemade frosting.

He was transfixed as he watched her twist the end of the piping bag until it bulged towards the capped end. With light pressure from her thumb and forefinger and a twirl of her wrist, she piped a beautiful spiral on frosting. The most amazing fact was she kept in time to the music playing in the background.

Somewhere in the middle, he pulled out the food he had brought with him. She had treated him to lunch a few days before so he thought he should return the favor. It was a simple tteokbokki he had picked up on his way over. Hyun Joon had mentioned she liked it and he had thought it would be a wonderful treat for her.

As he was setting it on the very cramped island, she turned to the fridge and pulled out a container. At first he thought she was getting something for the cake. That was until she set the container in front of him and opened it. The smell of sweet kimchi wafted up to him. She always had food at the ready, as expected of a chef.

Won ate as Soohyun continued working of the cake. The frosting was done and she was using some utensil to make something with whatever sugary thing she had on the counter. Much like earlier, she was concentrating hard on whatever it was. She was holding something that looked like a rounded mallet in her hand and she ran it over the purple and pink pieces of sugar on the counter.

"Here I was thinking I was bringing you a treat, but you're giving me one," he said.

She smiled and continued working. Won finished his meal then cleaned up his space. He even washed dishes and fumbled around until he put them away. By the time he was finished, Soohyun was finishing the cake. Now he could tell the little pink and purple sugary things were butterflies. She was putting them on things that looked like longer tooth picks and sticking them in the cake so they stood above it like they were flying.

She spun it around, inspecting it for any flaw that would render it imperfect. Then she stepped back to let Won look at it. He looked it over with a fine tooth comb before nodding. Soohyun grabbed a dismantled box and quickly connected the sides before setting the cake carefully inside it. After closing the box, she tied a gold ribbon around it and set it to the side.

"What was that for?" Won asked.

"A co-worker's daughter's birthday is tomorrow. He wanted me to make a cake," she replied as she started cleaning up.

"Do you just happen to have the cake decorating things here?"

She shook her head. "No, I borrowed some from work. As long as they get back tomorrow, it's all right. I have plenty of fondant and I made my own frosting so all I have to return is the ball utensil and the frosting bag."

"What would you rather do? Food or pastries?"

"I like both so it doesn't matter. But speaking of pastries, there are lemon cheesecake cupcakes in the fridge. You're more than welcome to have some."

Won made himself at home as he pulled a couple of cupcakes from the fridge. He frowned when he turned around. Soohyun was still cleaning but she hadn't touched the food containers he had placed in front of her. Not even a dent was made it it.

"Soohyun-ssi," he said. She lifted her eyes to look at him but her hand never stopped wiping down the counter. "Are you not going to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," she said.

His frown deepened as he realized the first time he had met her outside of her work, she hadn't eaten either. Now they were sitting in her house and she wasn't eating now either.

"How did you con my brother into giving you my address?" she asked as she put the rag in the dirty clothes hamper on the other side of the fridge.

"It wasn't your brother. I went to Zeus Hotel and asked for it there. Choi Young Do was all too happy to give it to me. So here I am. Why aren't you eating? Hyun Joon said you liked tteokbokki."

"I do, but I'm not hungry. Put it in the fridge."

He wasn't convinced. "The last time I saw you, you didn't eat. I chalked it up to you being full from all the wonderful pastries you made. My office staff loved them by the way. But now you're in the comforts of your own home and you're still not eating."

Soohyun looked at him with a quirked eyebrow. "You're starting to sound like Hyun Joon. But that has nothing to do with anything. I just started a new medication and a side effect is loss of appetite. That day I met you at your office was the day before I started it."

"But you still didn't eat."

"Cake is very fulfilling." She slid a drink across the counter to him and sat on the one opposite. "Why are you here? You could have just called."

Won tipped the bottle back and let the liquid slide down the back of his throat. "I got into a fight with my fiancé. She seems to think that a little rinky dink caterer can't do the same job that a big name company could do. I was in charge of one thing and it seems she's taking it away."

"Is she coming to your birthday party?"

"She'll be there briefly before she has to go out of the country on business."

"Bring her to me once the party starts. I'll have one of my bests waiting for her. There won't be a reason for her to say no."

Won's mouth opened slightly as he let sink in everything she had just said. She was going to prove that whatever she made for the party was ten times better than her competitors. She hadn't actually said that in so many words but it's what she had meant. Here was a young woman going against the biggest companies in South Korea with food.

"How old are you?" he asked.

Soohyun took time to swallow the water she had just taken a drink of and watched him over the glass. He was very forward, but then again they had become friends. He must be curious since they hadn't really talked about themselves since they had met.

She tossed the water into the sink and smacked her hands against the counter. The sudden action shocked Won and he jumped back slightly. She picked up the box and her bag from the corner and headed for the door. Won had no choice but to go since it was her house. She was already out in the hall when he put his first shoe on.

Won followed her from the elevator to the mailbox where she shoved her mail into her bag then out onto the sidewalk. She was very confident as she walked down the street. She didn't have a care in the world. She didn't care that a strange man was following her wherever she went.

She went into a building and immediately pressed the button for the fifteenth floor. They were riding an elevator again. He knew she had to know where she was going because she was way to secure in this action. Once they arrived to the floor, she went immediately to the third door on the right and rang the doorbell. A man who was a little bit older than Won answered the door.

"Oh! Soohyun-ah, I wasn't expecting you," he said.

Soohyun held up the box with a smile. "I finished. I was going out so I figured I would go ahead and drop it off. I hope Mi Jin enjoys it."

The man reached out and took the box. "Soohyun-ah, you didn't have to bring it tonight. I would have picked it up at work."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Jun Hyun-ssi. It's always a pleasure to make things for your daughter. I hope you have a good night."

"Wait," he said as she started to turn away. "Let me give you something for it."

"The only thing you can give me is next Tuesday off," she answered. He tilted his head at her odd request. "I have an appointment that day."

Jun Hyun seemed to understand because he nodded immediately. "I can do that. I'll get Park Ji Soo to work that day for you. Thank you again."

Won wanted to ask what was going on next Tuesday but Soohyun was moving again. She got into the elevator again and pressed the lobby button. He knew it wasn't the time to ask her but he was dying to know. What was the appointment about on Tuesday?

He didn't have time to ask because she was moving again. She moved quickly for someone who worked nearly as many hours as he did. She was quick on her feet.

She took him to a very small café. She took a seat in the far corner and pulled a notebook out of her bag. It turned out to be a planner and she scribbled her off day in front of him.

"Noona." She looked up to see the waiter and smiled gently at him. "Do you want your usual?"

"Please, and thank you, Hoon Jin-ah," she said. She pointed at Won. "Get him an Americano. He's been in prickly mood. I want to sweeten him up."

Hoon Jin turned on Won suddenly. "Are you Noona's boyfriend? Because if you are, I strongly disagree with you."

Soohyun laughed as she propped her head in her hand and poked him in the side with the end of her pen. He flinched a bit but didn't shift his position. "Hey, you brat. Last time I checked I was the adult with a full time job."

"Noona, you need someone who understand you. Not a chaebol who wouldn't give two shits about what happens to you."

"Listen here," Won started, hair on the back of his neck standing as he readied for a fight.

Soohyun was faster. She took his hand and laced their fingers together like it was a normal thing. Hoon Jin turned immediately as Won's eyes grew as round as saucers. "Hoon-ah, nothing is going on between us. I'm catering an even at his company next week. We're spending time together because we're also friends."

Hoon Jin leaned down and got right in her face. If it was cold outside, Won would have been able to see their breaths mix in front of them.

"Noona, don't go out with him even as a friend. There's nothing good that will come from this," he said.

Soohyun lifted her head and used her now free hand to poke him in the ribs. "If I remember correctly, nothing good was supposed to come from you either when you entered my kitchen. Now look at you. No one would know that you're a misfit jerk who doesn't know how to talk to people."

Won was surprised when Hoon Jin leaned in a kissed Soohyun right on the mouth. She didn't get mad or anything as he stepped away from their table. In fact she looked right up at him.

"What was that?" he demanded.

She frowned at him. "There's no reason for you to get jealous. You're getting married in three months."

She had him there. There wasn't any reason for him to be jealous unless he was feeling something for her. At the moment he just wanted to be her friend, but seeing that had made him angry.

"You never answered my question earlier," he said as Hoon Jin brought over their coffee. The younger man gave him a death glare before walking away. "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty-eight. Oppa is three years older than me."

He took a sip of the drink then looked back at her. "What's your appointment for next week?"

"I have to go to the doctor for a physical. Unlike everybody else, I have to go every three months for physicals to make sure I'm as healthy as I can be."

That didn't sound right. "Why do you have to go for so many?"

"I'm in remission from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. They want to make sure any bruises or cuts I sustain heal within a relatively decent amount of time."

Dumbfounded Won just stared at her.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: So BTS came out with a new album on November 30 and I'm in love with it. Although the song about the whale cracks me up. If you listen to it, there is a comment down at the bottom that had me in tears. It says, "From International superstars to a whale… slow claps." (This isn't a hundred percent correct but I'm too lazy to look it up.) I died. I laughed so hard I cried. It was just a comment but it was funny. The song is sad, but the comments. B.A.P came out with "Young, Wild, & Free" and EXO just dropped "Sing for You." I'm in heaven.

I got to go back to work tomorrow but I'm going to enjoy my mini concert as I do laundry for this week. But this week is the last week before Christmas break. I get two and a half weeks to do nothing but write, listening to music and finish my crochet projects.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

"I'm in remission with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia."

Those words repeated through Won's head over and over and over again. He hadn't expected those to be the last words he had heard while he had been with her last night. She had basically told him she was going to die at some point much sooner than normal people did nowadays.

He had say across from her for a long few moments before he had gotten up and wandered around the area for a bit. She had followed him to make sure he hadn't stepped out into traffic. She had made sure he had gotten home before she had gone home herself.

She hadn't texted him that morning and he hadn't her. She had known as soon as she had told him he was going to need time to process it. He had gotten dressed and had gone to work in a slight daze.

There hadn't been any morning meetings so he had spent the entire time looking up the different versions of leukemia to see how bad it really was. He had even ignored Da Kyung's phone call and had declined her invitation for lunch. He wanted to know as much as he could.

How could Soohyun be so strong even when she is sick? How could Hyun I allow her to live alone when he knew what was going on? His assistant had to be having a hard time with having two family members sick. How did he do it?

There was a knock at his door just as he was getting agitated with so much information coming at him. He heard the door open and close before he looked up. Soohyun stood in front of his desk. She wasn't upset or anything that he could see.

There was one outstanding thing different about her. She wasn't blond anymore. She was wearing a black beanie with the Zeus Hotel emblem in silver.

He got up and they walked over to the comfy chairs in the corner. Soohyun sat down and handed him a cup of coffee from the same coffee shop from last night. Attached to the cup was a note in scrawling handwriting.

" _Kim Won-ssi, I figured I told you about her illness by the way you stumbled out last night. She wouldn't have told you if she didn't trust you could handle it. I doesn't let it hinder her. Hyun I hyung and I have tried many times to tell her to slow it down, but I is stronger than she seems. She does what she can and asks for help when she needs it. Right now she is doing well and we're thankful for that. I hope you come to understand that._

 _Jeon Hoon Jin"_

Won looked up at Soohyun. She watched him and took the note from him when he handed it to her. A slow smile crept across her face as she read it. She shook her head then carefully folded the paper.

"Was he privy to all of your personal life?" he asked. He was trying to catch his breath.

"Hoon was there when I was diagnosed. He took me to a lot of my chemotherapy and radiation sessions. He stayed by my side when I was so sick I could barely get out of bed. Without him and Hyun Joon, I wouldn't have survived it," she answered.

She continued when he couldn't even speak. "I didn't tell you for you to worry about it. I lost a lot of friends when I first got sick because I couldn't do anything. I wasn't fun anymore. But I learned that those who were physically, mentally and emotionally distraught over my illness were the ones I needed in my life. Those people give me the strength I need to keep fighting."

Won wiped the tears from his eyes. "How can you be so strong?"

She shook her head. "I'm really not, but I learned to ask for help. Now do you want to go somewhere with me for your lunch break?"

He couldn't say no to her so he stood and followed her from the office. They got a couple of curious stares as they passed his secretarial staff. He hit the down button and the elevator doors opened immediately. Soohyun was quiet as they rode down to the lobby. Unfortunately the elevator was not on their side today as it stopped every three floors. Won ended up pressed against her side to keep everyone away from her.

Once out of the elevator, Soohyun led him through the lobby and down the sidewalk. He trailed behind her as he let his mind think on everything that he had been told. His instincts were telling him to watch out for her, but his obligation to his family was warring with him.

"Where are we going?" he asked, stepping up to her side.

"I have an errand to run. You seem shaken so I figured I bring you with me to ease your stress level. Oppa does the same thing. He has to be close after every doctor's appointment," she answered. She stopped in front of a bookstore. "Come on."

She led him into the store and immediately went to the right. He noticed she was going to the invitations. She looked at the cheapest ones even though he was certain she made more than the average chef.

"Kim Won?"

He turned around at the sound of a very familiar voice and came face to face Jeon Hyeon Joo. She hadn't changed since he had last seen her a year ago. Her hair was a little longer but everything else was normal. She was dressed down for a teacher. He had to think of what day it was a national holiday that he should be observing instead of working. Hence why the woman wasn't all dressy.

"What are you doing here? I thought you would order your fancy invitations from an event company," she said.

"I'm actually here with a friend. Soohyun-ssi," he answered, turning to look for the woman. She walked up to him instantly and looked around his shoulder. "Lee Soohyun, this is Jeon Hyeon Joo. She teaches at Jeguk High School. Soohyun-ssi is a chef at Zeus Hotel. She is catering my company party tomorrow night."

Soohyun inclined her head. "Hello. Kim Won has never mentioned you before."

Hyeon Joo frowned. "I'm not sure why he would. We were only acquaintances. How did you get him to come with you? I had to drag him by the skin of his teeth."

"I may have accidentally upset him. I asked him to come out to cool down before he stewed over it for so long that he did something stupid." She turned to him. "I'm going to check out. I'll be right back. Excuse me." She bowed to Hyeon Joo before walking to the back of the shop.

The other woman looked at her ex. "Does Da Kyung know about her?"

"She knows we're friends. I explained it to her when I say her last night when we were planning the wedding. They'll meet each other tomorrow night. You're invited to the party if you wish to come," Won tossed out.

"I don't want to be in a place where I am not wanted. I'm sure your fiancé will have her hands full with that woman alone. Seeing how beautiful her personality is will make any other woman feel inadequate."

Won's hackles rose instantly at the tone. "Don't mock her."

Hyeon Joo lifted her hands in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it. In today's society it's hard to find someone who isn't jaded by circumstances. I need to be going. We should catch up sometime." She inclined her head and hurried out the door.

Won watched her disappear out of his sight and thought it over. If she hadn't been so gun shy of his status, they could have been together. But as that thought continued, he knew it would have never happened. He would have had to surrender his company due to finances and everything else his father had left him with.

"That woman still cares for you, Won-ssi."

He jumped as he turned to the soft voice of Soohyun. She was rummaging through her bag as he looked down at her. She looked up at him then smiled. That smile was the only thing that could melt any nervousness or anger he had at anyone. It was soft and sweet and gentle.

"Stand still. I don't want to poke you."

He watched as she pulled the back off of a pin. Rising on her tiptoes, she gripped the lapel of his suit jacket and poked the sharpened end through the material. Carefully she replaced the back and smoothed the lapel down. Won looked down to see an orange metal ribbon right below his Korean flag.

"The ribbons have different meanings. They're known as remembrance ribbons. The orange signifies leukemia. All my friends wear them. And I found one for mental health disorders for Oppa."

"I don't understand how you can do this," he said.

She laughed at him. "Don't worry about it. If I need your help, I will let you know. Let's get you back to work."

"You don't have to go back with me. I know you must be getting ready for the party tomorrow night."

"It's actually all ready. We just have to move the boxes and drinks tomorrow. Everything will be fine."

Won framed her face in his hands and sighed. "Go home. Rest for tomorrow night. It's going to be a long party."

Soohyun smiled as she watched him leave the store. He was way too kind for his own good sometimes. But she wasn't going home. She was meeting Hoon Jin at a tteokbokki stand a couple of blocks over.

He was already waiting with two bowls when she showed up. He tossed her a yellow bottle and waited as she sat down. After taking the medication jostling around inside, Soohyun took the second set of chopsticks and dug into the spicy rice cakes.

"How did he like his note?" Hoon Jin asked.

"He was overwhelmed, much like you were when I told you," she answered. "He ran into his ex-girlfriend while in the store."

Hoon Jin laughed. "How well did that go?"

"He still likes her, but I don't know how she feels about him. It's obvious she left because she didn't seem to think they have a future. I bet she's kicking herself now."

He popped her lightly in the head with his spoon. "Don't get involved in someone else's personal life. We never know what's going to happen with you so it's better for you not to get involved with a chaebol."

"He's a good friend, Hoon. He seems to understand. You didn't even understand for at least a month."

"But I didn't go anywhere did I?"

"I give you way too much credit sometimes."

Hoon Jin lifted his head and looked at her. "Noona, there aren't a lot of men who would stand by an ailing woman even if he's married to her. The statistic is even less if they're dating. You're lucky you've got a friend who has."

Soohyun set her chopsticks on the top of her bowl and leaned back in her chair. "Honestly, you're my only friend. Everyone else left."

He pointed at her. "Exactly." She didn't react and he tilted his head in question. "That doesn't bother you at all does it?"

"It did in the beginning, but now I don't really care. None of it matters as long I live. And if I don't, I'll know I'm leaving behind a really good friend and a brother who cared for me more than life itself."

"If you keep spouting stuff like that, I'm going to ask you to marry me."

Soohyun laughed and started playing with the edge of the table. "Are you able to help with the party tomorrow night? Moon Jong Sik can't because he's going to his grandfather's memorial banquet thing tomorrow. I need someone who can help set up and carry trays back and forth from the kitchen. You won't actually have to talk with the guests."

"Good because I don't get enough of that at work."

She frowned at him. "Why are you bitching? You're the one who wanted to open a coffee shop."

He sat back in his chair, mirroring her lackadaisical stance. "You're never going to let me live that down are you?"

She shook her head. "Not for as long as you live. You also have that moment where you wrecked your bike into a parked car."

Hoon Jin blew air sharply between his teeth. "You said you would never mention that."

"Oh, I don't in good company, but you're Hoon Jin so you don't count."

He started laughing. Soohyun smiled at how quickly his concern disappeared by a simple comment. It was one of the real reasons they were so close. Despite all of their hard times, they had stuck by each other. They had hardly fought and if they did, it was over almost as fast as it started.

Hyun Joon was even surprised they hadn't gotten married. The thing was Hoon Jin was a little brother and she had never seen him as anything more than that. He was just happy to be near her so he let it go. But every now and then she wondered when he was going to ask for more.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: So back to work I go. Only four and a half days until break where I can chill and do almost nothing. I'm so excited if you can't tell.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

"I hate people."

Soohyun laughed at Hoon Jin's blanket statement as she sent another caterer on his way to refill the hors d'oeuvres trays. He hadn't been working but two hours and he was already complaining. But that was to be expected of the twenty-five year old slacker who even hated working at his own café.

"You didn't have to come," she said as she arranged more cupcakes on the tier. It was to go out last since that was when they were going to sing to Kim Won.

Hoon Jin sputtered as he wiped down his tray and started loading fresh vegetables onto it. "Don't tell that lie. You would have held it over me for the rest of my life if I hadn't."

"I wouldn't do that."

"Tell that to someone who doesn't know you very well. Like, I know, Kim Won. He should know how mean you really are. This nice persona you have going on with him is really sickening you know. How can a man fall for that?"

Soohyun popped him in the shoulder with a spatula until he yelped. "You just better be glad I look on you like a little brother and not the annoying pest I know you are."

"See?" Hoon Jin exclaimed. "Violence! You're not nice at all. You're evil!" And he sang the blues all the way out into the party.

Soohyun shook her head. Even though he complained and whined the entire time, Hoon Jin was a really hard worker. She had known him for nearly twenty years and he had always been very hard on himself about work. He was always at the top of his class no matter how hard the subject matter was. And he had always taken care of his family.

She remembered the one time he had let his father down. His father had wanted him to become a lawyer but Hoon Jin had wanted to learn the ins and outs of coffee. He had taken a few barista courses when in college and had fallen in love with the idea of owning his own café. But his father had been totally against it.

They'd had a falling out when Hoon Jin was a senior in college. He wanted to go to Italy to study coffee and baking. His dad wasn't going to fund the extracurricular activities even though Hoon had a full ride to one of the best schools. In a fit of rage, Hoon switched gears and ended up going to France and living with Soohyun while he studied. She finished her tenure at the restaurant she had helped start then she moved back to South Korea. Hoon Jin had come back with her.

Once he returned, he had gone to talk to his parents. To this day, his father hadn't forgiven him for leaving the family. But Hoon had long given up trying to please his father and did what he loved.

"Soohyun-ah, Kim Won-ssi wants to see you," one of the other caterers asked.

Confused, Soohyun wiped her hands and left the kitchen. People gave her the weirdest looks as she meandered through the crowd. She didn't care. She was actually in uniform. She could go through the crowds without being asked to take something back to the kitchen. With a chef's jacket, she looked important.

"Soohyun-ah!" Hyun Joon exclaimed as she pushed her way through the crowd. He took her by the arm when she was within arm's length. "This is the wonderful chef who helped make all this delicious food, Lee Soohyun."

"Stop it. You're being weird again," she said.

"How is it weird when he's correct?" Won asked. He was smiling like an idiot. "The food is wonderful. I'm just wondering about those cupcakes I can't wait to try."

"You'll just have to wait. I'm under strict orders to wait until it's time for the song. If I have to wait, you do as well."

He nodded with a slight smile. He must have realized what he had been doing because he toned it down. He turned to the woman beside him. "This is my fiancé Kang Da Kyung. Da Kyung-ssi, this is Lee Soohyun-ssi, Hyun Joon's younger sister."

It dawned on the other woman and she smiled broadly. "You're the one who got him hooked on sweet kimchi with tteokbokki. I could strangle you just a bit."

Soohyun heard the underlying current of temper in the woman's tone. She wasn't the least bit excited that her fiancé was talking to another woman. Soohyun didn't care what she thought but if it came back on Won it was a different story altogether. She may not be very combative but she wouldn't let someone else go after him for being her friend.

She pursed her lips together and bowed before walking back towards the kitchen. A wave of dizziness washed over her. She stopped to grip the nearest table momentarily before she continued on. Once she was back in the kitchen, she told one of the other guys to oversee the food as she sat down and caught her breath.

"Noona, are you all right?" Hoon Jin asked as he carted a bin to the sinks.

"I'm fine. I just got flushed for a bit. I'll be okay in few minutes," she said.

"All right. Don't push yourself."

She sat in the chair and watched her people walk around like they knew what they were doing. She hoped they did. She had picked them for that very reason. They knew how to handle themselves even when she couldn't physically work.

They scurried back into the room and started preparing the cupcakes. Hoon Jin jumped right in with them, ordering them around like he was in charge when he was only part-time help. He made sure they walked in front of him with the cart of cupcakes. He had grown up so much since he had opened his café.

Soohyun followed them out and stood by one of the other chefs that had helped her put this whole thing together. They watched as the whole party sang happy birthday and Won blew out the candles on the top two tiers of cupcakes.

Another wave of dizziness came over her and her vision dimmed. She felt her blood rushing in her ears as her heart thundered in her chest. Before she could think of calling out for help, her knees gave way as darkness clouded her vision.

"Noona!"

Won didn't know what was going but Hyun Joon was running across the room just as Hoon Jin pushed catering staff out of the way. There was only one reason those two would be moving that quickly.

"Soohyun-ssi," he muttered. He left Da Kyung's side and went towards the end of the table. The woman was in a crumbled heap on the floor. "What happened?"

"She was complaining about dizziness earlier," Hoon Jin explained.

"Does anyone know if she ate today?" Hyun Joon asked. He was acting very calm when the situation was anything but.

"I haven't seen her."

"Hoon, go find her bag. She keeps a bottle in the front pocket for emergencies."

Hoon Jin took off for the kitchen as Won kneeled down. He had never seen Soohyun sleeping. But this wasn't sleeping. She was unconscious. She looked peaceful even though.

Hoon Jin returned and handed the bottle to Hyun Joon. The older brother took it and opened it. He let out a curse then put her arms under his sister and lifted her.

"What is it?" Hoon Jin asked. "Hyung?"

"She didn't take her medicine. I'm taking her to the hospital."

Won didn't have time to say anything to Hyun Joon because the man was gone so quickly. He looked at Hoon Jin. "Is there anything I can do?"

Hoon Jin shook his head. "No. It's happened before. She has to take her medicine to keep her body regulated. Since she didn't eat, it has double effects. I'll make sure all of this gets cleaned up. Go ahead and have your party."

Won didn't know what to say as the staff started to clean up the mess that had been made when Soohyun had hit the table. He wondered what was going to happen. Hyun Joon and Hoon Jin had reacted calmly and had diffused the situation before anything else had happened.

He tried to get back into the party mood but it was officially ruined. There was nothing he could do to get it back. Everyone felt the same as he heard mutters wafting throughout the room. They were all wondering what had happened and if it was serious. He didn't have any answers either because he didn't know enough of her condition to say. Not that he would because it wasn't his case to talk about.

Da Kyung pulled him aside and looked at him. "Call Hyun Joon-ssi and ask which hospital he's at. You're not going to be any use if you're worried about one of the staff."

He frowned at her. "She's my friend, not just staff."

"Go check on her. You obviously know what they were talking about, and it's clear to anyone who looks at you that you're worried. Go see what's going on."

"Yeah, hyung," Kim Tan said as he walked over. He had been eavesdropping over in the corner. "Soohyun Noona has obviously made a good impression on you for you to be worried this much about her. Plus her food was amazing."

Won laughed at his brother's shallow comment. Only Tan would be worried about the food at a time like this. His phone buzzed in his pocket. Without a second thought he pulled it out and checked his messages. It was from Hyun Joon.

" _They've taken her back for a biopsy since they know of her condition. We're at this hospital if you want to come. Tell Hoon Jin for me. If I tell him now, he'll have a fit and leave his duties. It's going to be a couple of hours before I know anything so don't worry about leaving the party just yet. Stay until it ends."_

That took option one out of his control. If Hyun Joon didn't want him at the hospital just yet, he had to stay at the party. Hyun Joon wouldn't tell him something if he didn't mean it. But it also left his mind to run wild. He was coming up with worst case scenarios. What if the illness was back? What if it was something else?

But the worst question was why did he care so much? He had known the woman a month and over the course of that month, he had kind of forced himself upon her. She hadn't said anything about it. In fact she had let him do what he wanted without so much as a complaint. She even dragged him around to places after he invaded her privacy.

Around midnight the party started to wind down. With Da Kyung, he said goodbye to his guests and looked to the staff as they started cleaning up. The catering group was done within ten minutes. Hoon Jin didn't even wait to hear what Hyun Joon had told him. He was gone as soon as the bus was packed and on its way back to the hotel.

Won saw Da Kyung in a taxi then he hailed one and headed to the hospital Hyun Joon told him. It was almost one and his friend needed the comfort of someone who knew what was going on. Hoon Jin would be there, but he would have to leave early to go to work. What kind of boss would he be if he didn't take care of his employees' families?

Hyun Joon was in the room he had put in his text. Hoon Jin was nowhere to be seen. His assistant looked tired as he sat by the bed.

For the first time he saw Soohyun without her beanie on. Due to her chemotherapy, she had lost her hair. Since she'd been in remission, it had gradually started growing back. So far it was like she had just returned from military service. He understood why she wore the beanie.

"I haven't heard anything new," he said as Won sat down. "They said the bloodwork came back clean but they just took some bone marrow to make sure it hasn't returned."

"I can't imagine how scared you were," Won said.

"I'm not scared. I learned long ago that it's useless to be scared. If it kills her, which is very likely, I know she lived life to the fullest. The only regret I have is that she hasn't found anyone to spend the rest of her days with."

"What about Hoon Jin?"

Hyun Joon shook his head. "Hoon's tried but Soohyun has always denied him. I don't know why. He adores her, but she's always only thought of him as a friend and little brother. Other than that no man would touch her because they would have to take on her medical expenses after she dies."

"You've talked about this at length haven't you?"

The other man nodded. "There was a moment when we didn't know if she was going to make it. Chemotherapy took its toll on her and she was wasting away because she couldn't eat. I brought her to the hospital and for three days she remained here on IV fluids. Even while weak, she had a lawyer come in and make a will for her. She wanted to make sure it was all taken care of just in case something happened."

"How long did it take her to bounce back?"

"A couple of months. Hoon stayed home with her until she could go back to work. So far it's been good. Until now. I don't want to send her home alone after this, but Hoon has a one room and I can't take care of both her and dad. I don't know what I'm going to do about it."

Won fought his first instinct but it was a battle he wasn't going to win. He felt so bad for his friend at the moment that he spouted it out before he could think it all the way through.

"I'll move in with her until she gets back on her feet," he offered.

Hyun Joon shook his head. "There's no way she is going to let you invade her territory. You may have only been allowed to go in on a visitation basis, but she's not going to let you live with her."

"She's not going to have a choice. If she's working herself to this state, she needs to suck it up and let someone help her. I learned that the hard way. Give me the pass code to her house and I'll move enough of my clothes for a couple weeks."

The younger man wasn't able to say anything because his boss was up and out the door before he could. Kim Won really didn't understand what kind of battle he was about to face. Soohyun was very sweet and gentle but she was also very strong willed and independent. There was no way she was going to let him get his way in her own house.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: So I figured I'd finish this chapter before I went to bed. It was playing in my mind so I put on some music and finished it as soon as I could. It took me nearly an hour to finish. I think that's a record for me because sometimes it takes me a couple of hours to finish one chapter. It's a good thing I knew what I wanted to do with this one.

Three and a half more days until it is time for Christmas break! I never thought I would be so excited for the break, but I am. I will be counting down if this story lasts for three more days. I never know anymore. I could get a surge and start writing like crazy.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

Soohyun wanted to scream but she hurt too much to do so. When her scans had come back clean, she had had to stay in the hospital a couple of days to make sure she was strong enough to go home. She had thought that when she had been released she was going to go home and enjoy the silence.

Wrong! As soon as she had walked into her house, she had been greeted with an insane mess. Hyun Joon, Hoon Jin and Kim Won had been in her house doing God knows what and she didn't like it. She was so used to keeping her place spic and span because her job demanded it. She could easily get sick if anything was contaminated. Now these three idiots were screwing it all up.

She blamed Hyun Joon. He had always done things on his own without so much as a question to those it involved. It had gotten him in so much trouble when they had been kids. She remembered he had broken their mother's favorite vase while playing ball in the house. He had asked forgiveness instantly then had gone right back to doing it again. He really didn't care what anyone else thought.

Hoon should have known better. When he had lived with her in France, she had gotten on to him on more than one occasion for leaving his clothes strewn all over the flat. She remembered she had been outside the front door when she had heard a mad scramble in the house. He had tripped over the couch in his mad dash to the laundry basket.

She could forgive Won. The poor bastard was walking into this without too much knowledge. He had only known her for a short while so she expected him to be a little dumb about things. But her brother and Hoon should know better than to let an outsider in without giving them the whole rundown of how she liked things.

As soon as she had seen the mess, she had wanted to clean. In fact it had been an insatiable urge. But the three idiots were smart. As soon as they saw her heading for the kitchen, they headed her off. Out of the three of them Won was by far the largest. His body masked Hoon Jin and Hyun Joon easily. There was no way she was going to get around him so when he had gripped her arm, she had easily gone with him.

Luckily none of them had asked any questions. There wasn't any need. It wasn't that they didn't care, but Hyun Joon had done one good thing by explaining that she wasn't going to talk about it. This was the first occurrence where she had passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital. It more than likely wasn't going to be the last. They knew all the basics so it didn't really matter what she said. At any time things could go south they just had to be ready.

She had been placed on the couch with strict orders not to move. She hadn't moved in three days but had known better than to argue. They were going to win because she was just too tired to fight. So instead of bitching like she wanted to, she had curled up under the blanket on the far couch arm and had gone to sleep. That had been the one thing she hadn't had in the hospital. No matter how hard she had tried to go to sleep, someone had always come in and had woken her up. She was more tired now than she had been before she had collapsed.

Won watched the woman sleep as he worked on things that needed to be done before he went to the office the next morning. He had to finish ordering his wedding gifts for his soon to be in-laws and he had to set up the seating chart for his side of the wedding party. He had plenty of friends coming that he didn't want sitting beside each other. But no matter how hard he tried, he always had someone sitting beside someone they shouldn't.

He wondered how Soohyun could sleep knowing that she had a stranger in her house. That had been one thing Hyun Joon had been nervous about. His sister rarely let anyone stay overnight, including him. It was her space that she didn't share. He had always wondered what she had hidden in her place.

That question had piqued Won's curiosity. He wanted to know if there was anything special hidden in the house. Soohyun was so quiet and gentle when she worked that it was amazing no one ever overlooked her. But it was easy to see why they didn't. Her cooking was the best he had ever tasted. It's what kept her intrigue at its peak with everyone else. How could a woman so quiet and reserved make something so bold and loud?

The doorbell rang. He had ordered takeout because he didn't know what else to do. He couldn't cook in a kitchen he wasn't familiar with, and after they had cleaned up, he was certain Soohyun would kill him. So he had taken the chicken's way out and had ordered a pizza. He hadn't known what kind Soohyun liked but he had taken a chance with a simple supreme. Whatever she didn't like she could pick off.

Just as he was getting the plates for the pizza, he heard a door close. Looking down the hallway, she saw the blanket tossed over the back of the couch and Soohyun missing. Her bedroom door was still open but the bathroom was closed. A few moments later she emerged and walked into the kitchen. She raised her eyebrow at the pizza but didn't say anything as she reached for the medicine bottle on the counter.

"Are you too lazy to cook?" she asked after she had swallowed the three colorful pills.

He shook his head. "No. I didn't want you to kill me like you nearly did last time you saw me in this kitchen."

"Last time I didn't invite you, you brought food."

"I bought some this time too." He motioned to the pizza box. "Sit down. I'll finish getting things down. What do you want to drink?"

"Well you're going to veto alcohol, so a soda would be fine."

Won grabbed two soda cans out of the fridge and set them on top of the plates as he carried them into the living room. Soohyun had already grabbed the pizza and was rearranging the blanket on her lap. He sat beside her and handed her a plate as she opened the box.

"How did you end up with babysitting duty?" Soohyun asked when they were halfway done with their first slices.

"I volunteered. Your brother has your dad to care for and Hoon Jin has his shop," he explained.

"You have a whole company to run. How can you think of babysitting a sick person?"

"You said you'd ask for help if you needed it. Why didn't you tell anyone you weren't taking your medicine?"

"It's not that I wasn't. I'm normally very good at taking my medicine. When I get a job I'm excited for, everything goes out the window, including medicine."

"You were excited for my party?" She nodded as she reached another slice. "Regardless, you have to take your medicine."

She cut her eyes at him and he knew he was treading in dangerous waters. "Until recently, I've never forgotten to take my medicine. It wasn't until I took on your party that it started happening. Actually, if I think about it some more it wasn't until after I met you."

He looked dumbfounded. "Are you blaming this on me?" She tilted her head in silent affirmation. "Do you think that's even fair?"

"Fair or not it's the truth. Ever since I started coming to your company on fairly regular basis did all of this," she motioned her hand in the direction of the medicine cabinet, "start happening."

"You're incredible. What? Do you like me or something?"

Soohyun didn't answer. She didn't have one. She couldn't compete with anything he had in his life. Kang Da Kyung was the heiress to a large company and Jeon Hyeon Joo was a teacher at his school. Both were doing something that was very respectable in the eyes of society. She was just a genius chef who could bring food to life.

Won watched her put her plate down and retreat to her room, leaving the door open so he could see what she was doing. He didn't know why but the thought of her leaving like that even to go fifteen feet away was disconcerting. He hadn't anticipated getting in an argument with her. He had just wanted her to rest.

Staring at the barely eaten pizza, he concluded that there was really no point in him eating anymore and got up to put it away. He washed up their dishes and did the recycling before he finished his work. Hyun Joon was going to ask what had happened during his first night at his sister's. He couldn't tell the man that he had pissed her off.

Because he knew there was no way he was going to be able to work with her angry at him, he ventured into her bedroom. She was on her side facing the huge window that overlooked the city. He didn't know what was so fascinating about it, but he didn't dare bring it up.

He sat on the bed with his back to the headboard and stared out the window just as she did. She shifted back a bit until her shoulder blade hit his knee. She knew he was there but wasn't going to day anything just yet. He should have known. She and her brother were complete opposites.

"Hyun Joon didn't ask me to stay here," he said. "He was talking about how hard it was going to be for him to watch over you and your dad when I volunteered. He's spent the last three days warning about your idiosyncrasies."

She sighed and rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. "I hate being sick."

"I don't think anyone likes it."

She shook her head. "You don't understand. You've never had a chemical coursing through your veins that kills even good cells. You've never lost your hair or appetite."

It was at that moment that Won saw how really vulnerable she was. She wasn't the type to just out and say what was bothering her. She bottled it up more than anything. Not many people could say they understood what it was like to go through chemo and radiation. She was one in a thousand people.

"What did your brother normally do when you came home from treatment?" Won asked.

"What you're doing. Actually, he or Hoon would make soup if I was hungry. If not, he would sit with me in the bed or in the bathroom. There were plenty of nights when we camped in the bathroom by the toilet because I was too sick to move."

She looked at him. "How old are you now?"

"Thirty-three. When is your birthday?"

"August eighteenth. Hyun Joon makes fun of me because I share the same birthday as G-Dragon from BIGBANG. He's threatened for the last three years to throw me a birthday party where he comes to perform. I doubt it's going to happen but I let him dream."

Won had a thought and was going to make it work if he could. "Who's older?"

"G-Dragon by a year."

He frowned when she shivered. "Are you cold? Get under the covers."

"I'm fine. I shiver even if I'm warm."

Sliding down the bed, Won formed his body to match hers. He pulled her hips into his and crisscrossed his arms across hers. He pulled her head back until it rested in between his neck and shoulder. Somehow he managed to wriggle the blankets out from under her and cover them both up. This was a dangerous situation he was in right now but he felt there was nothing more he could do.

Soohyun felt comforted even though she knew the backlash to this was going to be bad. Won didn't know the whole story at all but he had committed himself to being by her while she was healing. Not many would do that. She only knew a couple who would and they were the closest ones to her.

"Rest," she heard Won whisper. His arms tightened slowly. "You don't have to be anywhere tomorrow. Just focus on feeling better. Once you're back to your usual self, then you can think of going back to work. For now forget about it."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: free food and a good time at work. Nothing beats that.

Sorry it's taken a couple of days to get this up. I've been super busy and this chapter just didn't want to come out. It was like nah. I'll let you think a little more on it. Now it's here and I wonder how the next chapter is going to be. I still don't know who my girl is going to end up with. I'm sorting that out right now.

There's only a half day of school left and I can't wait. In sixteen hours, it will be Christmas break. I won't have to get up every morning. I won't have to put work clothes on. I will just have to sit on my butt in my PJs all day, drink coffee and hot chocolate, and write or read. I'll have to finish my sister's blanket but it will only take me a couple of hours to do that. Freedom!

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

"Did she lock the door?" Hoon Jin asked as the lock of the door beeped at him.

He shuffled his bags around and punched in the emergency code Soohyun had given him if he wanted to randomly show up while she was asleep. The door beeped twice to let him know he had ten seconds to disarm the alarm before it called the police. Quickly he punched in the numbers, which happened to be his birthday.

Sighing as he kicked off his shoes, he walked into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. He rummaged through the fridge before he pulled out the old stuff and put the new food up. He tossed the outdated stuff immediately.

He knocked an open bottom of soju on the floor, cursing as the liquid went everywhere. He snagged the dish rag to mop it up. Luckily the glass bottle didn't break so he just tossed it in the trash. He picked up the rag and started for the bathroom.

And stopped. He saw Won's head on the arm of the couch, but it was Soohyun laying on the CEO that had him staring in shock. Both were covered with the same blanket and Soohyun had her fist tucked her chin. They were peaceful, and neither one knew he was in the house even after all the noise he had made.

But that wasn't the issue. When Hyun Joon and he had left two days ago, neither one had foreseen this. Kim Won was engaged. He shouldn't be snuggling on the couch with a single woman.

Soohyun groaned and turned her head, arching her back as she moved. Won woke up at the sudden motion. He lifted his hand and ran it over her hair as he shifted his right leg.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he rolled his head into a new position. Hoon Jin didn't hear what Soohyun said, but Won reacted by tightening his arms. "It's all right. Go back to sleep."

Hoon Jin swiftly tossed the towel into the bathroom laundry hamper then left the house. He didn't want to see anymore. His heart hurt enough knowing Soohyun hadn't chosen him but it hurt worse seeing her with another man. He knew that even if he pursued her she would turn him down even though he was privy to everything.

Light streamed through the living room windows a few hours later. Soohyun shifted and rolled off the couch, cursing as her hand hit the couch. Won woke up and looked over as she picked herself up. He caught her hand as she started for the bathroom. She looked down at him as his fingers rubbed a gentle circle in her wrist.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded then pulled her hand from his. "I'm fine. Shouldn't you go to work?"

Won sat up and swung his legs off the side of the couch. "Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Would you be offended if I was?"

"A little."

"Get out of my house."

Laughing, he got up and went into the bedroom to pull out his clothes. Soohyun finished in the bathroom and Won took her place. He took a shower and cleaned up. He was wearing his towel when he walked back into the room. Soohyun was facing away from him in her jeans and bra. She didn't seem to notice him behind her.

Blood rushed to every place possible. He grabbed his clothes and went back to the bathroom to ease the sudden burn in his veins.

When he stepped out, he was dressed immaculately and his hair was swept up. Soohyun looked at him and nodded. She didn't say anything to him as she pulled her hair up in a messy bun. In the process, her shirt lifted a bit to show her midriff. Won shivered slightly then started for the door.

"Are you coming back tonight or should I send your stuff home?" she asked. He looked back to see her standing in the living room with her hands on her hips.

He swallowed hard. She was kicking him out of her house and didn't even have the gall to tell him.

"Why?" he asked.

"I need to get ready for a couple of projects and I want to know what to do with your stuff so I can focus completely on them."

"Are you feeling better?"

She nodded as she folded the blanket on the couch. "I have a slight headache but I'm fine. Go to work. I'll have Hyun Joon come over and get your stuff."

She turned her back on him and ignored him after that. She was seriously kicking him out. He didn't understand why he felt betrayed but he was. She had spent the last two days with him and now this. How could it be so night and day?

"Won-ssi," she said suddenly. He turned back to her. "Don't tell my brother what I told you. It will just make him feel horrible about it. He's got enough on his plate at the moment. I don't want to add more."

Dumbfounded, he couldn't wrap his brain around the fact that she was cold one minute then concerned for someone else the next moment. She was such an anomaly that he couldn't figure out.

He turned fully to her and stared. "How can you do it? You kick me out so readily and yet you're concerned for your brother. Don't the two personalities get tiring?"

"I don't have dual personalities. I'm not kicking you out. I like silence when I work. While you're here, it's rarely silent," she said. He caught her arm as she tried to pass by him. She spun around, a look of pain on her normally happy face. "That hurts. Let go."

He loosened his grip but he didn't let go. "Soohyun-ssi, aren't you tired bearing this all on your own? You're sick. You've been sick for a while, and yet you worry about others when you should worry about getting well. You don't want them to worry about you, but the more you stay quiet about how you're doing, the more they worry."

Soohyun stared up at him with a blank expression. He couldn't tell what she was thinking. He never had really been able to. But at that moment he could see a glimmer of dissatisfaction in her expression.

He slid his hand down her wrist and tugged her towards the door. He slipped on his shoes and waited for her to do so, grabbing her bag in the process. She didn't know what he was doing but she didn't fight him.

Soohyun was silent as she was forced to follow Won down wherever he was going. He didn't let go of her wrist the entire trip. She didn't know what he wanted her to do but he didn't seem to be in the mood to argue.

Hyun Joon stared at Hoon Jin as his friend told what he had just seen. He couldn't believe what had been said but he knew his sister well enough to know that anything could happen with her. She was a very caring person when her mind was in the right place.

Won shouldn't have done it but there was nothing he could do. He had allowed Won to stay with his sister. He had known better than to allow him to do so, but when things were rough he knew to ask for help.

He heard his boss's voice as he stepped off the elevator. Everyone turned as he walked in. Hyun Joon wondered why all their mouths fell open. He found out as soon as Won rounded the corner. He was dragging Soohyun behind him. She didn't say anything as she followed, listening to whatever he was saying. Hyun Joon had no idea what was going on.

"Hyung?" Hoon Jin asked. He was looking just like Hyun Joon's coworkers, his mouth wide open like a fish.

"I don't get it either," Hyun Joon muttered. "But I'm going to find out."

He followed Won and Soohyun into the office and watched the way the boss man treated his sister. He poured her a cup of coffee and unloaded her bag. If Hyun Joon had done that she would have killed him. Here she was letting this man do it.

Won set out her sketchpad, colored pencils, and medicine box. He ordered lunch and snacks from downstairs then looked at her.

"If you need anything, let me know," he said.

Hyun Joon saw the look on his sister's face before she disappeared into her music and work, there was no doubt she was listening to GOT7 and B1A4.

He walked over to Won's desk and stood so he blocked his sister's view if she decided to look over. He knew she wouldn't but he wanted to make sure. Won looked up expectantly, obviously waiting for him to get to the point.

"Quit treating her like an invalid," he warned.

Won turned fully to him, leaning back in his chair to look up. "Do you even know how she feels about all of this?"

Hyun Joon frowned. "What?"

"You have so much on your plate that you don't even know. You spend so much time worrying about your dad that you don't see what's going on with her. You don't see how hard she's trying to stay in one piece."

Turning around, the younger man looked at the woman. Ever present beanie covering her head, Soohyun was focused on whatever she was working on. But he could see the tiredness in her face. There were little white lines crossing her tanned skin. Her eyes were dimmer than he remembered and she rubbed them incessantly. Her two days off had helped.

"She's not as strong as she lets everyone think, but she won't tell you. She can't. It's not in her. So she'll suffer in silence until it eats her alive," Won continued. "It's so easy to overlook the fact that she is a human that we just go on with our daily lives and we don't think about it."

Sighing, he turned and left the office. Won watched him leave with the dejected look on his face. Hearing the truth was always painful. This time wasn't any better.

A few hours passed without a hassle. Won did work with his online associates as Soohyun sketched out a few orders she had been sent via email. Neither one said a word to each other the entire time. It wasn't an awkward silence; they were just busy with their respective professions that it was easy to ignore each other.

Someone from the food bar downstairs buzzed him about lunch. He thanked them then resumed his work. He didn't even blink when the door to his office opened.

"What is she doing here?"

Won looked up into Da Kyung's face. The woman had her perfectly manicured hand on her hip as she pointed the other at Soohyun. The man looked over briefly, actually remembering the other woman was in the room. It had been so quiet he had seriously forgotten she was there.

"Are you secretly seeing her?" Da Kyung demanded. "Is that why I couldn't reach you for nearly three days?"

He rubbed his eyes. "Soohyun-ssi was really sick. I just dropped by to see her to make sure she was eating and getting well." He wasn't going to tell her that he had actually stayed for two days straight.

"She seems healthy now. Send her home."

"I can't do that. Lee Hyun Joon doesn't want her to be alone right now. She's got a couple of more days off, and he's afraid that she'll end up going to work anyway. Her job doesn't want her to collapse on them again."

"So she camps out here? And you let her."

"Da Kyung-ssi, she is my friend. I want to help her."

Da Kyung wasn't hearing it. "I'm your fiancé and you have another woman conveniently at your beck and call. You don't even call me when you're concerned about something, but you let her stay here simply because she collapsed? How does that make me look?"

Won knew the woman was all about looks, but there was nothing he could say to make this any better. He had volunteered for this. He had to keep the woman's reputation in check because he didn't want it in the mud.

"I won't let her come in the office anymore. But I am going to be seeing her. She's catering our wedding."

Da Kyung got this haughty look on her face. "Fine. But after the wedding, I don't want to see her ever again."

Won looked at Soohyun and had a bad feeling overcome him.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: It took me a couple of days to figure this out. Plus today was the last day of work for two weeks! I was too excited plus I was getting caught up on Oh My Venus with So Ji Sub and Sung Hoon. I'm so excited about this drama because Henry Lau cracks me up!

Anyway, give me your ideas on who Soohyun should be with.

((*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*

Soohyun didn't know what was going on. Physically she was fine, but mentally and emotionally she was drained. She could barely hold her head up even as she sat at her desk. She was so supposed to be planning the food for the weeding but she couldn't do any of it.

She had all of the requirements. All she had to do was put it all together and decorate everything. Everything was ready to go. But she didn't want to do it. She didn't have the heart to do any of it. Every time she saw it in her kitchen and plan book she just didn't have the urge to start. This was the first time for any of it, and she was so concerned.

"Noona?" She looked up at her boss's boss. Choi Young Do stood in her door looking at her with a raised eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

Sighing she sat up and nodded. "I'm fine. Is there something you need?"

"I got a request from a customer to see you. I declined because I thought you were too busy. I hope that's okay."

She nodded again. "It's fine. I have too much work to do anyway."

She could tell Young Do didn't believe her but he wasn't about to argue with her. He nodded then left her to what she needed to do.

Soohyun stared at the clean surface of her desk for the longest and wondered how much longer she could do this. It was too tiring to be this active anymore. She should have done something different professionally. She could have done anything, and yet her stubbornness to prove that she would be able to handle it was finally kicking her in the ass. It was suffocating.

Just as she was getting up to go back to work, her phone rang. She recognized the number and immediately picked up. There was a loud breath on the other side, like he had been hoping she wouldn't answer.

"Hello, Dr. Kang," she said as she stood and headed towards the door.

"Hello, Soohyun. Are you available to come see me today?" he asked. His voice was solid but there was an underlying tone that told her it was serious.

"I can be. I'll just say it's an emergency. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Soohyun hung up her chef's coat and gathered her things on her way out. She stopped by to talk to her boss as she passed his office to the front of the hotel. He nodded and sent her on her way, telling her to take care of herself for as long as she needed. He had been very understanding during all of this.

The hospital she usually went to was a few blocks away from her job. She was able to walk for many of her checkups in the last year. So far everything had been fine. She hadn't had to have second and third visits after the monthly checkup and she had considered herself lucky.

If she were to be perfectly honest with herself, she had been expecting this. Since she had collapsed while catering the birthday party, she had been steeling herself for this call. The usual wait time for blood work was a few days. It had been nearly four weeks, meaning something was wrong and they were doing more tests. This was right on schedule.

She walked in the main entrance and a nurse immediately led her to Dr. Kang's office. They all knew her well enough to know who she was seeing. Luckily, Dr. Kang was waiting on her. He had to have been bouncing his knee as he waited for her to walk the three blocks to the hospital.

She sat down and waited for him to turn to her. When he did, she knew the results. He had a very expressive face that couldn't lie even when he wanted to.

"It's back," she said.

He looked at her with his lips pressed into a straight line. "Your white blood count dropped drastically in the last two months. Last time I saw you it was upwards on the scale. Now you're at the bottom. And your biopsy shows it in your marrow as well."

Soohyun nodded. "When do you want to start chemo again?"

Dr. Kang took on a sad look. "Soohyun, most people would yell and scream."

"I'm not most people. I've been dealing and fighting with this for a while. I don't have time to be mad or sad. I have to be able to get well as soon as possible."

He nodded. "I want you to start today. I've already scheduled an appointment for you. You'll need someone to take you home."

"I'll call Hoon Jin."

Dr. Kang led her to the oncology department as she called Hoon. She looked at the chair she had frequented months ago and sighed in resignation before taking it again.

Won stared at his phone and wondered if something had happened. It had been nearly a month since he had heard from Soohyun. They had kept in touch after Da Kyung had given him an ultimatum. Most of the conversations had been centered around food for the wedding and the wedding itself.

Their last conversation had been about the wedding cake. He didn't trust anyone else with it. But he hadn't heard anything about how the design was coming. He had called her three times and had sent countless texts to find out what was going on. They had all come back unanswered which was unusual. She was usually so quick to answer.

Hyun Joon hadn't said anything about there being anything wrong. He had been his normal bubbly self. He had seemed like everything was fine. Won hadn't asked him because he hadn't wanted to ruin the man's mood and make him suspicious and fly off the handle.

He picked up the thing made of metal and plastic and hit the one number he had used most recently. He heard Soohyun's voice as he caught the voicemail, but there wasn't an answer. He hadn't expected one.

Without a second thought, Won stood and left his office. He was glad Hyun Joon hadn't paid any attention. The man was nosy and if he saw him leaving, he would ask a hundred questions. So he skirted his workers and grabbed the next empty elevator.

Once down in the parking garage, he got in his car and zipped out. He knew the way by heart so he didn't bother plugging it into his GPS. For two days he had driven this route on his way back from getting food. It would be engrained in his memory for a long while even if he didn't want.

Soohyun's building was located between his office and Zeus Hotel. It was very convenient for her since she had frequented both places often in the last few months. He pulled into the specified spot in the underground lot and got out. He went up to her floor without a second thought. It was second nature now.

Arriving on her floor, Won immediately went to her door and rang the doorbell. When no one answered in what he thought was a sufficient amount of time, he knocked on the door.

No sooner had he raised his hand to knock again, the door opened. Soohyun stared up at him. Won looked her over, taking note how weak she was. She held on to the door frame as she stood with the door propped open by her foot.

"Come in," she said. "It hurts too much to stand."

Won grabbed her arm as she stepped back. He swung her up into his arms as he stepped into the house and carried her to the couch. She had made a little nest of blankets and pillows. He knew what had taken so long to get to the door.

He set her down gently on the couch and grabbed the tea cup sitting on the table, pressing the warm ceramic into her hands. He got up and returned to the door to take his shoes off. He went to the kitchen and warmed up some soup that had been left on the stove. He put the bowl on a plate and scattered crackers around it.

Carefully, he carried the soup to the couch and set the tray on her lap. He took the tea cup from her and set it on the coffee table. He watched as she ate a few bites then set it aside. He looked from the food to the woman as she curled up into the corner of the couch.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Soohyun looked up at him briefly then closed her eyes. "My leukemia is back. I started chemotherapy three days ago. This is the after effect."

"Why did you tell me?"

"Your fiancé made it perfectly clear how she felt about me when I was sitting in your office a month ago. I didn't call because I didn't want to get you in trouble."

Won's mouth fell open as he tried his best to wrap his head about all of this. She had started a severe time again and hadn't called him because she didn't want him to have an issue with his fiancé. Even sick she was watching after him.

He took her face in his hands and forced her to look at him. She could barely hold her eyes open but she tried her best to meet his gaze. His heart twisted painfully as he looked into a blank stare that he hadn't seen before.

"Is there anything you need me to do?" he asked as he rubbed her cheeks.

She shook her head slowly. It looked like it caused her too much pain. "No. Hoon will be back tonight after he closes the café. I can make it until then. I was asleep when you showed up."

That wasn't what he wanted to hear but he would respect her wishes. She was too tired to argue with no matter how much he wanted to. So he let her go and picked up her bowl and plate. He cleaned up and put the leftover soup in the fridge. He wanted to stay but if she didn't want him there, there was no point in it.

"Won?" he heard her say. She had dropped the formalities they had spoken in since they had met.

"What is it, sweetie?" he asked. He jumped as she stood up and rounded the coffee table shakily. "What are you doing?"

"There is something you can help me with." He followed her to the bathroom where she flipped on the light and sat on the shower chair. She pointed to the vanity. "I want you to take that electric razor and shave my head."

He sat on the toilet in front of her and looked her in the eye. "Are you sure?"

She met his gaze steadily. "I'm going to lose my hair anyway. I might as well be in charge of that when I can't control what this chemical does to the rest of my body."

Won sat there for a few moments chewing on his bottom lip. She closed her eyes and waited, knowing he was going to do what she asked even though he hated it.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the razor and flipped it on, the buzzing filling the hollow silence of the bathroom. Soohyun pulled her beanie off and he could see the longish short hair that had grown back over the last few months. Carefully, he pressed the blade to her head and pulled it back, revealing the shiny skin of her scalp. He watched the clump as it fell to the bathroom floor.

Soohyun had never felt so relieved to have someone other than Hoon Jin or Hyun Joon cut her hair. They would have wanted to have a deep conversation with her. Won just did the task without a word. She couldn't talk. There was a lump in the back of her throat that would turn to tears if she uttered a word. Won seemed to understand that.

After a few minutes, the buzz cut off and she felt the softness of a towel rub across her head. Won used his fingers to massage her scalp to ease the tingling the metal clippers had left.

"Do you want to look?" he asked. She shook her head because she had already seen it once before. "I'm going to pick you up. Bury your head in my neck if you want to."

Her vision was filled with Won as he stepped in front of her and picked her up off the shower stool. She wrapped her arms around his neck and closed her eyes as she carried her from the bathroom. He returned her to the couch before he went to clean up the kitchen. She wondered why his fiancé was a bitch when this man was so caring. How could someone stamp out something so bright?

"Have you told Hyun Joon?" Won asked as he sat down beside her. He gathered her to him, pressing her forehead into his neck.

"No. I asked Hoon not to tell Oppa just yet. I wasn't feeling up to arguing with him just yet. He will want me to move in with him until I start to feel better. The only thing is I don't know when that will be. I will take up too much room and Dad is already there. I don't want to be a burden," she answered.

"What about Hoon?"

"He's just as fussy. I don't want him to stay here either but he's not going to listen to me. If he stays away from the café, it could tank."

Won rubbed his fingertips into her temple. "Do you want to move in with me?"

"I can't. Kang Da Kyung will be livid."

"I'll handle her. You just tell me what you want me to pack tomorrow, and we'll get you some place where you will have an entire staff to take care of you until you're ready to move home."

Soohyun didn't know what to say so she just let herself be comforted. She was too sick to argue anyway, not that Won would ever listen to her.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: I watched my favorite Christmas movie today and sang all the way through it.

This chapter starts the decline in the story. Don't be surprised if something happens that you weren't expecting. I don't know what to expect any more since my mind tends to change on me almost every chapter. Sometimes I don't know what's going to pop up.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

"Hyung?"

Won turned at his brother's voice as he pulled his bedroom door closed. He had just gotten home after a long day at the office and had wanted to check in on his guest. Soohyun had moved in to the house and had immediately fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She hadn't woken up by the time he had gone to work that morning so he had left her sleeping.

Her stuff had been moved into the house and the maids had brought in another chest to store her clothing. They had separated everything because Won had not been about to touch anything personal. He did well keeping his hands to himself when he had escorted the woman to his house. The only thing that had kept him from doing so had been the fact that Soohyun was going through chemotherapy and was suffering from it.

He hadn't told Hyun Joon that his sister had been moved in with him. Knowing the man he was going to have a conniption. Soohyun had told Hoon Jin so he wouldn't worry, but whether the youngest man was going to keep it a secret or not was up in the air. If he was mad enough, he would out Won in a heartbeat.

Won looked at his brother. Kim Tan had grown up in more ways than one in the last few years. After he had sent him away when he had been fifteen, his younger half-brother had returned with a new lease on life. He had broken off his engagement to a well-off girl in favor for a maid's daughter. Won had never seen him happier.

There had been a moment when he had been concerned that his brother's return would have ruined his chances at continuing to run the company but they had worked together to make sure Won wouldn't lose his position. Tan was his biggest supporter. Actually he had always been. It had just taken Won a long time to realize what that meant.

Tan looked at the closed door then back at his brother. "Who is that? I saw you bring her in last night. What's going on?"

"She's a friend of mine who's going through a really rough time. Her brother can't watch over her at the moment so I asked if it would be all right if she moved in. Is there anything I should know about?" he asked.

"My mom ordered a light dinner for tonight. She figured since your friend slept all day she would be hungry but wouldn't want to eat too much. Is it all right if Cha Eun Sang joins us for dinner?"

"I don't mind as long as she doesn't ask too many questions."

Tan smiled brightly and ran off down the hall to his room. Won shook his head at his brother and went downstairs to the study to do some work. His father's desk loomed at him. The man had been sick and had gone to warmer weather to heal. He had asked Tan's mother to go with him but Ki Ae had rejected the thought because she hadn't wanted to leave Tan while he was taking courses for the semester. So his father had left. He sent postcards every few weeks to let them know how he was doing so they couldn't worry.

He sat down to work until dinner was ready. He hadn't gotten anything ready since he had been so worried about Soohyun during the day. Hyun Joon had come in countless times that morning to see what was going on and if he had needed anything, but Won hadn't. He had waited for the other shoe to drop, but the man had been happy. He wondered how much longer that was going to last.

Not too much later Ki Ae poked her head in and said dinner was ready. He could hear his stepmother (she's not in the show per se but she is in this story) talking to another woman whose voice he recognized as Cha Eun Sang's. Tan hadn't come down yet because his brother would have been loud and boisterous to see his girlfriend.

Won stepped out to see Tan escorting Soohyun down the stairs. The woman was weak and leaning against Tan as they took the stairs slowly. The beanie was back on her head, a sign that she didn't want to be asked any questions.

They hit the main floor, and Soohyun's feet came out from under her. Tan wrapped his arms around her to support her balance as Won hurried forward. He took her face in his hands to make her look at him.

"I'm fine. I just lost my balance," Soohyun said. "Please loosen your grip. You're hurting me."

"Tan," Won prompted. His younger brother let go for a moment before Won took his spot. "Are you feeling any better?"

"If you're asking if I've been sick today, the answer is no. I slept all day," she said as he escorted her to the dining room. "My brother called me today. Hoon hasn't told him either."

"I think we're waiting on you."

"Would you tell him tomorrow at work?"

Won nodded as he sat her in the chair, not that she could see him. "I'll tell him. He'll probably want to come here. Will you be up to that?"

"More than likely not but he won't go away. He may take a hard line to the fact that I'm sharing your room."

"That would be a problem." He looked across the table at his brother, his girlfriend and his stepmother. "Is there anything you can come up with?"

"You have plenty of rooms. Maybe you should just move her into one of them," Eun Sang offered.

Won had thought about it when he had offered his home to Soohyun, but he knew he would be in her room every chance he got because it seemed this round of chemo was a little rougher. He would be checking on her every few minutes.

He shook his head. "No, she can barely walk. I will be in there all the time. She might as well stay in my room."

"Then move another bed in there," Ki Ae said. Everyone looked at her. "Your father and I share a room that way still even though we are to be married. Your brother shares a room with his girlfriend when she stays over."

"But I'm not marrying Soohyun."

Tan waved his spoon between Soohyun and Won. "You're not going to make her your mistress are you?"

"Besides, aren't you in love with Jeon Hyeon Joo? If that's the case, why are you marrying someone you don't even like?" Eun Sang asked.

"I liked Da Kyung just fine. I'm actually very happy to marry her. She's the only one I can think of who would be accepted."

Soohyun listened to the conversation as she slowly sipped her soup. She could say that she was uncomfortable in a huge house like this, but she didn't want to talk about something that she had no experience with. She had never dated anyone in her life, especially after she had been diagnosed with leukemia. She hadn't wanted anyone to pity her and be with her because she would have had to go back and forth to the doctor like she was now.

She stared at a space on the wall. Feelings she shouldn't have developed were sitting under the surface. Won had become a good friend to her. Besides her brother and Hoon Jin, she hadn't had anyone she really could rely on. But here she was in a house with a man she had just met only two months ago, and he was caring for her better than anyone she had thought would. It was only natural that some sort of feelings would emerge, but she couldn't let them overcome her because he was taken already.

"Hand me your phone," she said.

Won looked at her briefly then pulled his device from his pocket. She brought up his recent contacts and hit her brother's number. It went to voicemail, which told her he was in the middle of something. So she hit the message button and typed out a quick one before sending it. She handed Won back his phone and waited for it to ring. It didn't take long. Won looked at her as he picked it up.

"Lee Hyun Joon," he said simply.

Soohyun heard her brother's voice on the other end of the line. "What do you mean my sister is living at your house? Why isn't she at hers? What's happened?"

Won sighed and looked at her. "She's been with me for two days. Before that she was with Hoon. You're really the last to know."

There was a moment of silence on the other end before Hyun Joon spoke again. "She's out of remission, isn't she? But if she was with Hoon, why is she with you now?"

"I went over to figure out why I hadn't heard from her and she was laying on the couch. I didn't give her a choice but to come to my house so she is watched around the clock."

"Is she at least eating?"

Won looked over at Soohyun. "She's doing the best she can with that. I'm not pushing her to do more than she can."

Hyun Joon sighed again. "I'm with my dad right now at the doctor. Would you mind if I came over tomorrow to check on her?"

"Just text me when you want to." Won hung up the phone then looked at Soohyun as she pushed the bowl away from her. She couldn't eat another bite. "He'll be here tomorrow. Can you last that long?"

"I guess I'll have to," Soohyun replied. "I just want to go back to bed."

"I'll help you. Madame Han, thank you for dinner."

Soohyun stood and Won stood behind her to steady her. He was careful as he led her from the dining room. They took their time going up the stairs and everything was even slower as they took the hallway to his room.

As soon as he got her upstairs, Won picked her up and carried her to his room. She didn't fight him. She had never really since he had first found out she was sick. She just kind of went with the flow. It's what made him think she was a pushover in the beginning. Now he knew better.

He struggled with the door handle but somehow managed to shove the door open. He kicked it close behind him and strode over to the bed. He crawled into it then set Soohyun in the mussed up side. She immediately curled up under the blankets and nestled in the pillow. Feeling slightly concerned, he rounded the bed and laid down on the other side. He sidled up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder.

(*((**(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

Da Kyung headed up the stairs to Won's room. She felt horrible for yelling at him about a woman he had just wanted to help. He had just wanted to make sure she had been taken care of when she didn't have anyone available to do so. She should have been more understanding.

But a part of her didn't want to see any of that. She had never had a guy deny her. She could have anyone she wanted. She had had anyone she wanted since as long as she could remember. Won wasn't any different. When her father had said that the CEO of Jeguk was going to have to get married because he needed to solidify his position, she had jumped at the chance to be a part of the head Korean family. She wanted the title as wife of the most powerful man under the president. She didn't care if she didn't love the man as long as she had the stability.

She had already spoken to his ex-girlfriend. Jeon Hyeon Joo had already contacted her in hopes that Won wouldn't be married yet and she could pick up where they had left off. It was too late for Won to be ousted as head of the company, but it would put a dark mark on his record if he didn't keep the heir to one of his major stockholders happy.

Hyeon Joo had hoped he wasn't married, to which she had strictly said it would be soon. There was only a month left until their wedding. He was pretty much a married man. Da Kyung had no doubt that the other woman was going to go to him and beg him not to marry the richer woman. She also knew that Won would do what was best for everyone involved with him.

Da Kyung came to the man's bedroom door and hurriedly fixed her hair. She wasn't about to walk into a man's room looking like she had gotten into a fight with a wind machine. It was a little windy outside but she didn't have to look it. She knocked once then opened the door and went inside.

She stopped just inside as she gaped at the bed. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Won was in his bed but he wasn't alone. Soohyun was curled on her side with her head buried in the plush pillow. Won's arm was draped across her waist. They looked content as they slept in the giant bed.

Anger flooded the other woman. She strode across the room and tossed Won's arm off the other woman. She reached down to yank the other woman's hair but only came away with the black beanie. Soohyun shifted but didn't wake up.

But Won did. He got up and grabbed his fiancé by the arm to drag her out of the room. He pulled the door closed and turned to look at her. He couldn't find anything in her face that told him she was sorry.

"Why is she here? Why is she here and sleeping in your bed?" she demanded.

"Soohyun has gotten sicker since my birthday. I couldn't just let her suffer alone. She doesn't have anyone to watch over her twenty-four seven. At least while she's here, she has someone to watch over her and make sure she has what she needs," he explained.

"Then why are you sleeping with her? What about her own room? Why doesn't she have one?"

"I will be in there all the time anyway. She might as well stay with me. We're having another bed moved into my room anyway."

"What are you going to do when we get married? She will not be living with us."

"We're not living together anyway. Why do you care?"

"You will be my husband. You will not see another woman. She will be considered your mistress if you do."

Won hated that term. Soohyun hadn't done anything wrong. She had just gone along with him. He had been the one to bring her home with him. None of this was her fault. But he couldn't explain that to Da Kyung.

"Maybe we shouldn't get married if this is how you're going to act when I'm helping a friend," he said.

Da Kyung laughed sarcastically. "You want to break up with me? Do you know what will happen if you do that? You will lose his backing. He will turn to your former stepmother Madame Jung."

"I don't care. Do you know how many people would still back me? Do what you want."

"At least admit that you love her."

"It's not that," Won said as he turned back to the door. "I like her."

"It's the same thing."

He didn't listen. He opened the door and disappeared into his room again. Soohyun was sitting up in the bed. She looked at him then stood up. He crossed the room quickly but she shrugged him off as he reached for her.

"I can manage this by myself," she said. "Go save your wedding. Don't break this engagement because of me. It doesn't matter if she understands why you did this. You need her."

"I'm not going to ask her to come back," he argued, "and I'm not going to stay away from you. I know you heard what was said. You need my help because you refuse to tell your brother how sick you are."

Soohyun glared at him with as lethal as stare as she could muster. "I'll be fine. I was fine before you and I will be after. Just do as I say."

Won caught her sleeve and pulled her to him. His hand spanned her back as he pulled her front against his. He looked down at her. "Let me rephrase this. I'm not going after her or letting you go. I'll tell you the same thing I just told her. I will not let you go because I like you. I don't know if that means that I love you, but it means I will do my best to make sure you get the best health care possible."

"I don't want your money, Won. I was never your friend because of that."

"I know, and that's what makes it even better. You're not after me for my money. I'm certain you didn't become my friend because you wanted anything from me. You did it because I asked."

He took her hand and held it to his chest. "And because I'm asking now, I want you to stay here until you are healthy enough to go back to work. I know you have to go to chemo regularly now that your illness is back, but I want you to rely on me some more. Tell me everything from now on."

Soohyun knew this was a bad idea. He was going to get frustrated with all of it, and once his company figured out he wasn't going to be getting married they were going to look down on her.


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: So I basically wrote this entire chapter on my phone. I don't know why. It's become a habit. I write it on my phone then email it to myself. That's how most of these stories have been done. It's really funny. My parents think I'm constantly texting but I'm just writing a story.

Soohyun hasn't made a decision yet. Just so you know. It's getting there. When I say she hasn't made a decision, I mean I haven't. I probably won't until the very end. I know what you're thinking. Stop doing this to us! But the truth is, my two male characters are so very much alike it's hard to choose. I'm going to have to write the next chapter about Hoon Jin and Soohyun for you to fully understand why it's so hard to choose between him and Won. So read the next chapter once I write it and let me know who you choose. It may be a few hours before I get a chance to put it up.

For any new reviewers, let me know which drama you would like to see a new story about. I'm always up for new dramas to watch, especially since it is Christmas break and I won't have anything else to do other than laundry.

(&(*(*(*(*((*(*(*(*

Won sat in the oncology department holding Soohyun's hand as she went through another round of chemo. She was listening to music as she sat hooked up to the machine. He didn't understand how peaceful she could be while chemicals were being pumped through her body. He had never once heard her complain.

That was amazing considering that was all his company had done since the news of his broken engagement had come down. They wondered how they we're going to survive even though their earnings had gone up considerably in the last year. They cursed Won for being a fickle man who couldn't even keep one woman happy. Luckily Da Kyung hadn't said why they had ended their engagement but he was certain it would come out soon.

The media would tear into Soohyun if that happened. They would attack her because she was a cancer patient. She couldn't defend herself against them. He didn't know what the effects would be but they probably wouldn't be good.

Soohyun hadn't done anything wrong. He had kept that mantra in his head since he had found out what was ailing her. She hadn't been expecting him to become her friend. She had just let things happen the way he had wanted them. She hadn't argued with him or pushed him around. He had done that to her. His presence had caused so much strife he felt guilty.

Soohyun opened her eyes and looked down at Won. She could see all of his emotions playing across his face. He was feeling guilty when he shouldn't.

None of this was his fault any more than it was hers. He felt responsible for her relapse but the truth was it was going to happen. Even if the media grabbed a hold of her, she wasn't going to be anything than what she was.

"How are you feeling, Soohyun?" She looked up at Dr. Kang as he walked over. Won looked up too. "You look like you're enjoying this."

She sputtered out a laugh. "Oh yes. I'm totally enjoying this. I have a needle sticking out of my arm and it just feels dandy."

Both men smiled at her sarcasm. Dr. Kang looked at the machine. "There's only thirty minutes left. You'll be able to go home. I want you to eat something light. Since I know how your body reacts to this, I want you to stay as hydrated as possible. Are you staying with Hyun Joon or Hoon so they can keep an eye on you?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No but I'm staying somewhere where I'm never alone. Does that count?"

The doctor nodded. "As long as you're okay with it. I know how much you like your space but now is not the time for that."

Soohyun waved her needled hand. "I know. I've been through this before. It's not easy but I know how it works. I'll be fine."

Won was flabbergasted at this woman. Gentle and kind, she was a fighter. She didn't complain too much of at all about her condition. She worked through it all and still had a chipper disposition. He didn't understand it. He didn't know how a woman could shoulder it all.

He watched as Dr. Kang untapped the needle and slipped the piece of metal from Soohyun's hand. She watched it with a strange fascination that once again stumped Won.

"Mr. Kim, take her home and keep her off her feet for the rest off the day. The reaction to the chemo is different every time," the doctor ordered.

Soohyun allowed both men to help her stand. "Can I get a macchiato first?"

Dr. Kang stared at her. "You are such a strange woman. Not many patients want to eat after a round."

"I'm not eating. I just want coffee."

Sighing, the doctor pushed her gently into her guardian's arms. "I guess. But don't stay too long. You need to rest."

Won thanked the man then carefully led his friend from the hospital. He set her down outside under the awning and went to get the car. Soohyun got in without his help and buckled up. Instinctively he drove to he coffee shop he knew she would love to go.

He looked at as they sat at a red light. She had pulled the blanket out from the backseat and had it draped across her lap as she looked out the window. She wasn't going to tell him but he could see that the chemo had already taken its toll. She was exhausted.

He reached over and ran his fingertips over the skin of the back of her neck. Her hair should have been there but all he felt was smooth skin. He saw her eyes close briefly as she reveled in the gentle touch. It nearly brought him to tears but he didn't have time for that luxury. The light turned green and the car was moving again.

Won pulled into the closest empty parking spot to the door and sent a quick text message before he helped Soohyun out of the car. No sooner had they taken a seat than their coffees were served. Hoon Jin sat down as soon as he quit serving his other customers. Soohyun immediately held him at bay until she had taken a deep drink of coffee.

"You know better," she said as she wiped whipped cream off her lip. "I couldn't eat anything this morning and you want to deprive me? What kind of barbarian are you?"

Not even fazed, Hoon Jin turned his attention to Won. "Did she eat any in the last twenty-four hours?"

"She ate a little bit but not much. I'm not going to argue it as long as she tries to eat," Won answered. "I didn't know she couldn't eat before a session. That was a fight."

"We didn't know it at first either." Hoon Jin turned his attention to his friend. He took her hand and rubbed it gently between both of his. He was gearing up. "Noona, why don't you move in with me? I can ease up my schedule to be around a lot more. I can continue taking you to your appointments. I know Won-ssi could use the time to get his personal affairs in order."

Soohyun looked over her cup at Won and the devastated look that had come over his face. She didn't understand the roiling in her chest so she turned to Hoon Jin again.

"Are you doing this because you don't like me staying with Won?" she asked.

"It's not that I don't like him. He's got a reputation now. He left one girlfriend for his job, and then left his fiancé for another woman," Hoon replied. He cringed at the look she gave him. "I didn't mean to say that you were a homewrecker; it's just what the news is putting out."

Won opened his mouth to defend himself though just about everything he said was true, but Soohyun beat him to it. She grabbed Hoon Jin by the nose and twisted sharply. The younger man cried out in pain but she didn't let go. He flailed about for a few moments.

"What have I told you about spreading nonsense?"

"For a woman who just had chemo, you're really strong," he groaned. She finally let him go and he rubbed his nose. "It's not that I don't trust him. He's taken really good care of you, but if you stay with him your name and reputation will be ruined."

"If you think my name means anything to me, you're sadly mistaken, Hoon. They can smear it as much as they want. I know what I am. I'm a chef, a woman and a cancer survivor. If I can kick cancer's ass once I can do it again. And that goes double for the media. They're idiots if they think I'll back down from that."

Won smiled into his cup as he realized she had defended him without even knowing it. But what she did next told him she was her normal self.

She grabbed Hoon by the back of his head and pressed her forehead against his. The tender moment between the two of them was hard to watch. There were so many years between them that he would never have.

Hoon pressed his cheek to hers then kissed it gently. "I wish you would move in with me, but I understand. Go rest, Noona. Your hand is starting to shake."

This time it was he who kissed her on the mouth before standing up and back.

Won stood and helped Soohyun up from her chair. Hoon pushed it in as the two slowly made their way out. He followed them and stopped Won after he had secured Soohyun in the car.

"She sees the best in everyone but I don't want her to like you because of the superhero syndrome or whatever it's called. I have loved her for years and will love her unconditionally which is why I'm letting her go. If it gets too tough, send her to me. Don't force yourself if you're not feeling it. That will only hurt her," he said.

Won nodded and rounded the car to get in. Soohyun waved as they left the other man on the curb. She leaned the seat back and curled up under the blanket as they drove all the way across town to the rich side. She didn't say too much as she rode easily. Won wondered what was going through her head.

He pulled into the garage and killed the engine. Rounding the car, he opened the passenger door and helped the woman out. They made their way into the house, answering questions from Tan and Ki Ae.

Finally upstairs, he helped Soohyun change clothes and climb in the bed. They had finally moved another bed into his room which he used. He had given Soohyun his bed because it was closer to the bathroom.

She curled up on her side and tucked a pillow on her front side and back to make herself feel like she was surrounded.

"Won-ah," she said as he tucked the comforter around her. He hummed as he smoothed the fabric. "Am I a burden to you? This isn't easy, and you walked right into the middle of it."

Won sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his hand over her smooth scalp. It was still weird to see her bald. "You're not a burden. You're right. It's not easy but it's bearable. I won't be the type to run when it gets worse. And from what your brother and friend have said, it will get worse."

She kicked her feet a couple of times to warm them up. "Do you want something more?"

He watched her face closely, running his fingers gently across her skin. "I'm mostly sure I do but it's up to you."

She shook her head. "It's not a smart idea. We don't know what will happen."

"And you can't live every day in fear."

"If I chose to live with anyone, it would be someone who is completely understanding about everything that's going on. There's a fifty-fifty chance that I won't make it."

"Do you always think about it?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then don't. Go to sleep for now. It won't change in the morning."

Won watched as she settled into the covers and within minutes she was asleep. He didn't realize how tired she had been while they had been talking. He could just kick himself. Instead he opted to settle on his bed and work from home a little bit.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: So I made a mistake a few chapters ago. I said G-Dragon was older than Soohyun. The fact is they're the same age. I forgot that in Korean culture they add a year to the birthday. So Soohyun and G-Dragon were born in 1988. In western age they would be 27, but in Korean age they are 28. I just thought I would make this correction due to the fact that it's been bothering me since I wrote that chapter. So here you go!

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

"Can I just die now?" Soohyun asked randomly.

Not even the least bit shocked, Hoon Jin looked over where he had parked his friend. It was late on a Sunday afternoon and it was the one day the cafe was closed. Hoon was a devout Roman Catholic who went to church regularly. He kept the Sabbath and made sure his employees were off as well. Today he just happened to have a little bit of prep work that needed to be done for the next morning. He wasn't going to come in at three just to slice a few a pieces of fruit.

Soohyun had been with since after church. He had called her to see if she was up to going with him. She hadn't been at the time so he'd had gone with his family. When he had gotten out, he had had a text message from her asking about dinner. He had known she wasn't going to eat so he had offered to bring her to the cafe while he had worked.

Unfortunately for him she hadn't wanted him to do all the work alone. So he had sat her down with a knife and a couple bowls of fruit. He had refrained from giving her oranges due to an allergy but everything else was free game.

She groaned again before she tossed the knife in the bowl with a clank. He could see the chef itching to be let loose but couldn't. She had barely been able to hold the knife. He wasn't about to stand her up in the kitchen by herself even if she was a wonderful chef.

Hoon dropped the pans he was carting from the display cases and walked over to her. He pushed the bowls out of the way and pulled her up. He hit play on the remote and shuffled the music until he found a song he knew Soohyun liked. Pulling her to him, he found an open spot in the dining hall and started to move to the music.

They had worked so much while living in France that they hadn't had too much time to go out at night. So they had improvised. To let loose after a long day at work or at school, they would cook dinner together, put on some music, and have a little dinner and dancing in their flat while the nightlife surged on outside their house.

When they had moved back, they hadn't gotten a chance to do that. Soohyun had been home for a year before she had gone on a six month study in Japan. It hadn't been until recently that she had been around more, and that was due to her being diagnosed with leukemia.

Soohyun rested her head against Hoon's chest as he held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. He had been the strongest supporter she had had. He was even stronger than her brother simply because Hyun Joon had a lot to take care of. She had no doubt her brother loved her, but she wanted to give him as big a reprieve as she could.

So Hoon had stepped up. When she had first found out she had leukemia, she hadn't been too upset. Hoon and Hyun Joon had fared worse than she had. She had simply gone to get more information to plan what she should do. Hyun Joon had been a mess where Hoon had gone with her and helped plan the rigorous treatment she was now used to. He had been the backbone to both of them, and because of it, Hyun Joon had been able to pull himself out of his stupor and be strong as well.

She felt Hoon's hand at the back of her head before her beanie disappeared. He massaged his fingers into her scalp as he spun around once. He trailed one finger down the dip at the back of her neck, making her shiver.

Hoon didn't have hair to tip her head back, but her head was so small he could tip it back without much force. When he did, she opened her eyes so he could see the contentment she felt. Smiling gently, he ran his thumb over her cheek. Slowly he lowered his head.

He thought she was going to push him away but she didn't. She didn't react at first but when he wrapped his arms around her, she gasped slightly. Knowing he had hurt her by crushing her bones, he adjusted his arms so one was around her neck and the other at her waist. She fit against him almost perfectly. He was so tall so he wasn't sure how he managed to bend himself in half to do this.

He eased away but kept his forehead pressed against hers. He was so nervous about what he was about to do that he almost didn't do it.

"Noona, I was serious," he muttered. "I want you to move in with me. I can take care of you. I can do whatever you need or want. You just have to come to me."

Soohyun rubbed her forehead against his. "Where did this come from, Hoon?"

He lifted his head to look her right in the eyes. "I have loved you since I was sixteen."

He was twenty-six now, so he had had feelings for her for eleven years. That had been roughly around the time they had met. Hoon's father had started working at the same company their dad had worked for nearly thirty years. They had had a family dinner one night to which Hoon's large family of six hosted the family of three. That's when it had to have started.

Hoon was the youngest son. He had an older brother and sister and a younger sister. He was supposed to do what his father said, but since he had decided to go into the coffee business he had chosen a new family.

"Noona?" His voice brought her out of the past and into the present. She looked up at him. "Do you love Kim Won?"

Soohyun thought about it. She knew she was fond of Won but she wasn't sure she actually loved him. He had taken really good care of her since he had found out what was going on, but there was still something that didn't feel right. He didn't realize what else could happen.

Death wasn't the only thing he had to worry about. She could be fighting this disease for years before she was healed or it killed her. Fighting it was expensive. Her insurance would only cover some of it. She had to pay out of pocket the rest. It's why she worked so hard.

"Hoon," she said.

"Hmm?" he hummed in return. It was a classic answer for him.

"Can I stay here tonight?"

Hoon rolled his head so he could see her. After searching her face to see if she was joking, he smiled and nodded.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(**(((*(*(*(

Won slammed a hand down on his alarm and sighed tiredly as he rolled over in the bed. He rubbed his eyes then stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours. He watched the shadows run across the white roof before he got up.

Glancing over at the other bed, he had to do a double take when he realized that the second bed was empty. His feet got caught up in the duvet as he hurried to get up and check the bathroom. The light was off and the door closed, but he opened just in case. Soohyun sometimes liked to sit in the dark if she had spent the entire night being sick. When she wasn't there, he left his room and ran down the stairs to the kitchen.

Tan was sitting at the island as Cha Eun Sang's mother made breakfast. The two had become friendlier since Tan did nothing but pester the woman when he was home. As it was now, they had twin looks on their faces as he stopped just in the doorway. He didn't care that he was shirtless. He was beginning to worry.

"Have you seen Soohyun?" he asked.

While Park Hui Nam shook her head, Tan started to look concerned. "She wasn't in your room?"

Won shook his head. "The bed wasn't slept in. She wasn't in the bathroom and I can see she isn't here. I don't know where she is."

"Where did she go last night?" Wracking his brain, Won suddenly ran from the room. Tan jumped up and followed him. "Hyung!"

Won threw on some clothes, not really caring that he was supposed to go to work in the next few hours. He ran back down the stairs and snagged the keys to his car. He didn't know what the rush was. He knew exactly where she was but it was the nagging feeling in the back of his head that told him things weren't okay.

He drove through the city like a bat out of hell, getting to the café within record time. He threw his door open and ran to the front of the shop. It was bright with lights and people were milling about, but he didn't see the two he was looking for.

"Who are you looking for?" a waiter asked.

"Lee Soohyun and Hwang Hoon Jin," he said.

"Hoon Jin hyung took Noona to work. He didn't say when he'd be back."

Won felt slightly rude as he left without saying thank you but he was in a rush. The Zeus Hotel was only a couple of blocks away. He could walk but it would be worse if he ran to the hotel. Someone would really think things were wrong.

He pulled up to the sidewalk and tossed his keys to the valet. He bypassed everyone and went to the kitchen. Like usual it was a bustling hive of craziness. They were already getting ready for the lunch rush that would be bombarding them in a few hours.

Won looked around until he spotted the red rimmed chef's coat. Soohyun was sitting on a stool in the back of the kitchen chopping vegetables. Hoon Jin slipped up beside her with another bowl. He scooped the already chopped veggies into the bowl and disappeared again.

"Won hyung, what are you doing here?"

Won turned to Young Do. "When did Lee Soohyun come back to work?" he asked.

Young Do looked at the chef. "This morning. She said she couldn't stand being away from work anymore. Hoon Jin hyung said the only way she was going to work was if she sat down and didn't do anything too strenuous. Right now we have her cutting vegetables while the desserts are in the oven. She'll want to decorate them so we were just going to let her do what she wants."

The young man looked at the older one. "I've only seen you here twice. Why are you so worried about my employee? Is she the one you broke your engagement off for?"

"Kang Da Kyung and I were just not meant to be. It had nothing to do with Soohyun."

"That's not what I hear. Da Kyung Noona claims you were letting that woman stay with you because not only did you feel guilty about her illness, but that you loved her more than you realized."

"Has any of this come out to the press yet?"

"No, but there's really no telling when it will break. They are going to rip her to shreds. There's no telling what will happen."

Won looked down at the kid that used to be his brother's best friend. "Why are you so worried?"

"Soohyun Noona has always been kind to me even though she knows my old reputation. I don't want to see her get hurt over something that wasn't her fault. She may seem like nothing fazes her, but deep down she really hurts."

"Why is she working when she feels so horribly?"

"Doctor's bills aren't cheap."

Realization suddenly hit. Soohyun wasn't going to rely on anyone because she hadn't ever. Financially she was strapped. She had bills to pay so it was amazing she ever had any money to do anything. It was why Hoon gave her coffee for free.

He strode across the kitchen to the back metal counter. Soohyun looked up as he stepped up beside her. He sighed and looked down. Around them everyone was muttering about how their head chef knew the richest man in Seoul.

"Why didn't you come home last night?" he asked.

"I stayed with Hoon," she said simply as she returned to chopping vegetables. She seemed distant from him. "He brought me to work this morning."

"And you couldn't call? Did you know how worried I was when I woke up this morning and you weren't there?"

"Were you so worried that you missed the part that I wasn't even there last night?"

Won scowled at her tone. "Where is all of this coming from? You've never been snarky with me."

Soohyun sucked her bottom lip into her mouth as she finished chopping the onions and peppers. She scooped them into the bowl and set the knife aside. Scratching her head she sighed.

"Maybe we should stop this," she said. "You're feeling guilty about this and it's understandable, but I'm not going to stay with someone who is guilty."

"Who said I was guilty?" She handed him her phone with a news article brought up. He read it and knew exactly what she was thinking. "You actually believe this?"

"You would have never been involved if I didn't cater your birthday. You would have been married last weekend if we had never had met. I'm not ashamed that we met, but you were thrust into a world that you know nothing about. I think we should just let everything go. I'll move back into my old apartment."

Won didn't like that idea at all. He rounded the counter and grabbed her by the elbow. A hand covered his, and he followed it until he met Hoon's face. The barista's gaze was closed off and he wasn't smiling.

"This isn't some romantic drama where you can just grab a woman whenever you want. Let her go," he demanded.

The CEO smiled as he laughed. "I can end your career."

"But you won't because you wouldn't dare hurt her." Hoon inclined his head to Soohyun. "Now people are staring. You better let her go before I give them something to stare about."

Won looked around at the other cooks and chefs gathered. He looked down at Soohyun. She was staring at something very interesting on his shirt. He let her go and watched as Hoon wrapped his arms around her. He whispered to her which she nodded in answer. Won understood what was going on and something inside him hurt because of it.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's Note: so I was sitting here watching Buring the Beast and I realized that I have to buy more yarn to finish the blanket. It's going to be a long next couple of nights for me to finish this. Not to mention I have already watched two dramas in two days. I have no life really.

I bought all of our Christmas dinner supplies very cheaply. If I could buy food for five people under fifty dollars like I did, we would all be rich. It's amazing. The only reason I spent more was because I bought a couple of things for myself. But my Christmas shopping is done. Everyone has a present. That's what happens when you're so broke that you have to pick the cheapest things to give/make everyone.

I hope everyone has a good holiday whatever you celebrate this time of year. Let me know your plans for the end of December. I like to know what everyone around the world celebrates. It's so interesting to me.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(

"Noona, we don't have to go out."

Soohyun ignored him and stared down at the street again. She had been wrangled into staying with Hoon Jin as soon as she had left Won's. It was probably a good thing too. Hyun Joon had called a couple of days ago about a news crew camped out in front of her real place. Somehow they had followed them here.

There had been a news story on TV a few nights ago about Won and his not so monogamous affairs. They had gone into great detail when giving the news story. There were pictures and everything. They had made a crazy demand that Won choose who he like: Kang Da Kyung, Jeon Hyeon Joo or the mysterious woman he had just met. Luckily for her, they hadn't said anything about her. That didn't mean they didn't know who she was. She wasn't going to delude herself.

She had left the man before the story had even broken. Did she miss the man who had taken care of her? Yes, she missed him terribly, but what she missed most was their friendship. She could talk to him about anything. Most of the time the conversations revolved around his love life and her illness, but she hadn't cared. He had been a true friend. Now this was happening.

She wondered how he was doing. Won always had a habit of writing everything down. She had stumbled across his journal while stumbling through the room to the bathroom. Because he had been at work and she had been bored, she had read it from cover to cover. She had learned more about him that way than she had talking to him.

"What is Won-ssi even doing when all of this is going on?" Hoon asked as he looked down from another window.

Soohyun knew what he was doing. He was trying to find a way to keep everything away from her, but it was a little too late. They had already found out where she was staying. It was only a matter of time before they found out about her medical history. Then things were going to get really interesting.

"Noona?" She turned to look at Hoon. "We can stay home all day if you want. We don't have to go out."

She shook her head. "I have to. I need to pick up my new prescriptions and run a couple of errands."

Hoon slid up beside her and felt her forehead. Crinkling his, he frowned deeply. "You're running fever. Are you sure you should go out? It's kind of chilly outside."

"I'll wear a jacket, but I need to go."

Hoon Jin looked at Soohyun and wondered when things had gotten so bad. She had never been like this before. Usually she would just let it roll over her, but she was actually taking all of this deep into thought.

Sighing he stood behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. He propped his chin on her shoulder, kissing her ear when she turned to look at him.

"Do you want to go back to Kim Won-ssi?" he asked. She shook her head. "Noona," he spun her around to look at him, "you don't have to stay here. You can go anywhere you want. I'm not going to stop you."

Soohyun sighed and turned away from him to get ready. She didn't want to leave but she wasn't sure Hoon Jin could handle all of this. He had done well with the sickness but having the spotlight on him was new. He wasn't the most even keeled person she knew.

He was waiting on her when she came from her room. He helped her into a light jacket then followed her out the door. They were silent as they rode the elevator down to the lobby. Hoon stepped up to her side and took her hand before they started for the front of the building. His hand was warm and strong as he let her take the lead.

Flashbulbs went off instantly as people started yelling. Hoon shifted to pull her into his side and shield her face as he pushed his way through the crowd to his car on the street. He hadn't wanted to park in the garage but now he wished he had. They stood on either side of him as he opened the door and shoved Soohyun into the car. He fought his way through them so he could get around to the other side, fighting the snarls that were building up in his chest.

The ride to run errands was long and quiet. Hoon told Soohyun to stay in the car while he ran in to get her prescriptions and something for lunch. When he returned, she was asleep in the front seat. He ran by Zeus Hotel to turn in the paperwork she had filled out for another extended leave. Her boss looked at it with a frown. Clearly everyone enjoyed her presence. It had only been a year since she had returned and now she was gone again. He had a feeling they were wondering what her track record would be if she was fully healed.

Once again when he got into the car and looked over at Soohyun. Terror flooded through him. He remembered what had happened the first time she had gone through chemo. She had nearly died. Without a second thought, he put the car in gear and zipped down the street.

((&

Hyun Joon sat in a meeting with the shareholders. He wasn't thrilled with his boss at the moment. They had gotten into it as soon as he had walked into the office. It had been a glorified yelling match. He had laid into him about using his sister.

True to his nature Won fired back. He had argued that Soohyun had voluntarily agreed to live with him. It wasn't his fault that the press had found out about the situation.

Hyun Joon hadn't believed him and argued that if he hadn't broken off his engagement this wouldn't have happened. His sister wouldn't be the brunt of all the news reports. They were making her out to be a gold digger.

They had argued right up until the time of the meeting. While he had given his report, Hyun Joon had refused to look at Won even though the man was the one he was supposed to be convincing. Everyone else seemed to notice because they a shifted uncomfortably.

Right in the middle his phone started to ring in his pocket. Not unusual, Hyun Joon ignored it. If they needed him they'd leave a voicemail.

He knew something was wrong when it continued to ring. He pulled it out to check the Caller I.D., and his blood ran cold. Hoon never called him unless it was an emergency. He jumped up out of his chair and disappeared out the door.

Won knew something was up because Hyun Joon never left a meeting even if he was mad at Won. The man didn't return even after the meeting had ended.

One of the secretaries to a manager was standing at his door with a handful of files. She followed him into the room and set the blue packets on his desk.

"Do you know what happened to Lee Hyun Joon?" he asked on the off chance that he did.

"He said he had to go to the hospital. That his sister had been rushed to the ER. He said that if you needed anything to call him," she answered.

Won stared at the desk as he processed what he had just been told. Soohyun had been taken to the hospital again. No one had called him. He didn't know what had happened and no one had thought he needed to know.

He tried to curb his temper and clicked on his news feed. The ticker was still all about him and his escapades. There was a picture of a hospital and a headline that read "CEO's Secret Woman Hospitalized for Unknown Reasons." He clicked on it and listened to the story.

" _Today just after eleven o'clock, the mysterious woman known as Miss K was seen being rushed to the hospital. Miss K is the woman Kim Won-ssi, CEO of Jeguk Group, left his fiancé Kang Da Kyung for. Since we broke the news about the affair two weeks ago, Miss K had disappeared from sight. Now we understand why. The woman was sick and spending time in a hospital. There has been no news of what her condition is but we will keep you appraised of everything when we find out."_

The reporter went on to another story and Won hit the mute button. Da Kyung wouldn't have released the story because they had come to an agreement, but the same couldn't be said about her father and mother. Her father had pulled his support of his position as CEO and was now backing Madame Jung. The woman had received a decent portion of the company when she had divorced Won's father, but it hadn't been enough for her to take over. If Won lost three more supporters, he would have to step down. This story might be enough to do that, especially if Mr. Kang was feeling jipped.

The door to his office opened again. Looking up, he saw Da Kyung standing before him. She looked concerned, almost near tears. It was at that moment he knew the woman hadn't spread the rumors. She obviously had had no idea what had been said about Soohyun.

"Is she okay?" she asked immediately. "The news said she collapsed. Why are you still here?"

Won stood and walked over to her, pulling her down to sit in the chairs at the table. "I don't know if she's okay. No one has called me about anything."

Da Kyung stared at him. "How can you not know? Isn't she living with you?"

He shook his head. "She moved out two weeks ago. She's been living with Hoon Jin. Somehow they found his apartment. I don't even know where it is and they found it. As far as I know, she's never been out and about with him." He looked at her again. "Did you leak any information about her?"

She shook her head. "I never even told my dad. He asked and asked but I wouldn't tell him. It wasn't anyone in my family."

"Who would do it then?"

"I don't know, but you don't need to be sitting here. Your friend is in the hospital and you don't know what's going on. How does that look to anyone? She's supposed to be your girlfriend and here you sit."

The word triggered something. He looked at Da Kyung with a weird look. She tilted her head at him. "What if it was another woman who was upset at me?"

"Do you think Hyeon Joo is petty enough to do that? Didn't she walk away from you?" she asked.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know. I don't know who would do this. Hyeon Joo has always made her thoughts known to me. I haven't seen her since that day I ran into her at the gift shop when I was with Soohyun."

"I've seen her. She said she wanted to get back together with you but knew she couldn't because of me. I also told her about Soohyun. She knew everything. She could have done it."

Won shook his head. "The only thing is we won't be able to find out. News programs are legally safe to protect their sources. They won't have to tell us."

"What if we can go about it a completely different way? We can make up a couple of other rumors and stake out the studios, newspapers and everything that gives news. Then when someone comes to say no, they aren't right, we can nab them and find out who it is."

"That could also be called lying in wait. It could also be called illegal."

She frowned at him. "If you don't do something, Soohyun will suffer even more. She's already sick. This will make the healing process even harder because she won't be able to go anywhere without being recognized."

Won just stared at her for a long while. She had given him grief over his friendship with Soohyun and had even broken their engagement. Now here she was making a point to tell him that he needed to go see the woman she didn't like. He didn't know if she was trying to make amends or trying to ease her conscience, but at that moment, he was glad he had someone on his side because Hyun Joon and Hoon Jin clearly weren't.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: This is the second to last chapter. I finally figured out who Soohyun is going to be with and what's going to happen. When you read it, don't get too scared because there is a method for my madness. There always is most of the time. I just have to get everything situated.

As I was getting ready for bed last night, I had a thought. These stories have brought in some good internet friends from all over the world. I like to think of you guys as pen pals. Think about it. I write things about what I am feeling, and you respond with how it made you feel. Some of you even ask how my day was. We are essentially pen pals and I love it! I hope we all can keep in touch this way for a long while.

(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*((*(*(*(

Hyun Joon sighed and looked at the clock. Twenty-four hours. It had been twenty-four hours since he had entered the hospital to see what was going on with his sister. Hoon Jin had done the right thing by getting her to the hospital then calling him. He would have done the same thing if Soohyun had been Hoon's sister. It's better ask forgiveness than permission.

Soohyun wasn't hooked up to as many machines as she had been two years ago when she had first been diagnosed. Hoon had recognized the signs that she was in trouble and had reacted. It was better than most could do.

She wasn't dehydrated like she had been last time. This time they had made sure she had eaten at least something every day, and Hoon had kept clear liquids pumping through her every chance he got. Her job had kept her as immobile as possible. She had always been sitting as she worked. She had been so well taken care of it was amazing she was even here.

But it turned out there was something else completely wrong. Her white blood count was way down and her red blood cells were abnormal. She was being attacked on the inside and they hadn't even known. Dr. Kang said it had been dormant much of this time. He hadn't recognized it the first time.

Soohyun was being pumped with chemo. They were trying their hardest to help her fight off what was going on. She had been unconscious since she had arrived at the hospital, which was a good thing. It was giving her body time to heal.

Hoon turned on the TV and the news blared to life about Kim Won and his mysterious woman. The thought made the two men sick. The press had nothing better to do than make up stories that weren't true. Soohyun may have liked Won more than a friend but she had left him. Why weren't they reporting that? Why weren't they reporting that the woman was just a friend now?

Hyun Joon knew the answer even before he asked it. The press didn't care about the truth sometimes. It was about Kim Won, CEO of Jeguk Group which happened to be one of the biggest groups in South Korea. Any news about the Kim family was wonderful to the news outlets. They were greedy for anything they could use to smear the reputations of the family. Kim Tan had already been used, to which Won had threatened anyone who did anything more to his brother. What would he do now that the press was after Soohyun?

The answer was hard to come by. Hyun Joon had only known the man as a good boss who would do anything for his employees. When one of the ladies in the secretarial pool had had a hard time delivering her twins, he had paid all the hospital bills and had given her three months leave to heal. He had even paid for one of the guys' fathers to have lasik surgery. He was a good man, but it seemed like he was doing nothing for Soohyun.

Heart in his throat, Hyun Joon took his sister's hand as Won's face and a digitized version of Soohyun's face appeared on the television. So far no one had identified her, but that wasn't going to last. As far as he knew they had only gotten distorted photos of her when she had been rushed to the hospital. The doctors on call weren't going to let anyone know anything because they really didn't want to lose their jobs.

" _Kim Won-ssi has yet to open up about the mysterious woman who has been linked to him romantically. When he was asked about what the woman meant to him, he completely ignored our reporter. Kim Won-ssi has carried on his daily life as if the woman he has been seeing is not in the hospital. Medical personnel has refused to give any information on the woman and her prognosis so you will just have to wait like the rest of us,"_ said the anchor.

"Why can't they just leave us alone?" Hoon asked.

Hyun Joon looked over at him. He had been asleep on the couch across the room this whole time. Like the older brother, he hadn't left, refusing even when the nurses said it would be a long while before Soohyun had woken up. He had been like a child demanding his way. No one was going to say no to him because they had seen his temper at work, especially when he thought his friend wasn't getting fair treatment. He could be downright snarky when he needed to be.

Hyun Joon laid his head on the bed and watched the television to see if anything was going to change. He knew the answer to that even before the next news story about Won came up.

Suddenly the station was changed. He looked up at the man who dared to do the unthinkable. No one changed the television station in Soohyun's room. Not that it mattered at the moment since she was essentially asleep. Dr. Kang walked to the other side of the bed to check the beeping machine.

"It's not good for you to watch something that is just going to make you severely unhappy," he said as he scribbled on his file. "There's a rerun of Music Bank coming on shortly. You can watch NU'EST take on EXO."

"There's no competition on who's going to when. I would rather watch BTS take on VIXX. That's a worthy competition," Hoon said as he shifted on the couch. "That's coming on tonight by the way."

"BTS is doing really well after only debuting for a couple of years. However VIXX has been around longer and have won more First Place awards," Dr. Kang continued. He didn't hear any retorts so he looked around. Both men were looking at him with weird faces. "I have two teenage daughters who actually like both artists. I've been to a couple of concerts. Sue me for having knowledge about KPop."

Hyun Joon snorted. "You don't look a day over fifty."

"Thank you, but I'm fifty-three. Speaking of my daughters, Eun Soo and Eun Ji want to know what kind of bread Soohyun likes. They're making her some as a get well present."

"Strawberry and chocolate," Hoon piped up across the room.

Hyun Joon smiled. Of course the man would know his sister's favorite breads. There wasn't much he didn't know. They had been nearly inseparable since they had returned from France. Hoon was Hyun Joon's first thought of a brother-in-law since he completely adored Soohyun, but it was his sister's choice and so far she hadn't made it.

Dr. Kang folded his file and tucked his pen in his pocket as he took on a serious face. "The press keeps asking for information. We've wiped her name from the database and given her an alias, but it's only a matter of time before they get angry and demand we give them her information. Since it's not a police report or part of an emergency log, they don't have the right to it, but it's becoming an issue for all the staff."

Hoon sat up. "What do they know about her?"

The doctor shook his head. "Nothing too much. Her height probably since Hoon carried her into the hospital. When Hoon called to say he was coming in and was being followed by the press, we got our biggest and broadest CNAs to help shield the two of them, but I think the damage was already done when they took pictures outside of your apartment. It won't be long before they put two and two together."

"What about Zeus Hotel?" Hyun Joon asked. "And Jeguk?"

The older man laughed. "Choi Young Do at Zeus has threatened anyone and every reporter who so much as sets foot on the hotel grounds. He will sue them for defamation of character and trespassing. Jeguk has refused to release any information regarding its employees and employees' families. A couple of hackers have already been imprisoned for violating this civil right. Both companies are standing behind you in their own way."

Hoon looked at his older brother. "I didn't know Noona knew Choi Young Do, Hyung," he said.

Hyun Joon nodded. "Soohyun made a couple of cakes for him. Ever since he has been fond of her. I'm not surprised he's standing up for her. But why is Jeguk going to such lengths?"

"It makes sense," Dr. Kang said. "You are an employee. More specifically, you're the personal assistant of its CEO. Maybe Kim Won-ssi feels bad that he couldn't do much more than this. Speaking of Kim Won-ssi, he said he was going to come in. He's going to use the underground parking garage under the maternity ward."

The younger two men shared a look as the doctor said his goodbyes and went about his daily actions. Won was going to come in and they didn't know how shaken up Soohyun was going to be.

Hoon disappeared to get something to eat from the coffee shop in the maternity ward. No one was going to stop a man in that ward. There were too many people ready to have children for the press to stake out that place. Plus all the noise would be way too hard to edit out.

After Hoon had returned and the two were eating, Soohyun woke up. She sighed and shifted. Uncertain of what was sticking out of her hand, she looked down then groaned as she realized where she was. Neither one of the men said anything as she turned over on her side.

"Hoon," she groaned.

Hyun Joon laughed. "She knows it was you."

"Of course she does," the younger man refused to deny, "I was with her when it happened."

The older brother shook his head. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I've been hit by a truck. What happened?"

"Your blood pressure tanked and you passed out. Dr. Kang says your white blood cells are still low. We're waiting on test results right now."

There was a knock at the door. Kim Won let himself in. The other two men noticed the guards standing just outside the door. They shared a look then looked at Soohyun. She was pushing a pillow between her knees before she settled down again.

Won stood at the foot of the bed and held up a coffee carrier. "I didn't think your brother and friend would get the type of coffee you like so I brought one."

"Are you trying to suck up?" Hoon asked.

"Hoon Jin," Soohyun warned. Her voice was weak but it held enough strength for him to understand she wasn't mad at anyone. "Thank you, Won, but I'm not hungry or anything right now."

Won nodded and pulled up a chair from the table. "I found out who leaked the information about you. It wasn't Kang Da Kyung. She came to me after the news broke that you were in the hospital."

Hyun Joon didn't believe it just yet. "How can you trust her? She broke off your engagement because she was jealous."

"That's correct, but I also checked in to everything. The phone calls and emails the news stations and radio stations received were not from her. It took a few hours to track them, but they went back to a friend of Jeon Hyeon Joo."

Hoon wrinkled his nose. "Your ex did this?"

Won shook his head. "Not my ex, but her friend. Hyeon Joo had gone to Da Kyung to ask her to leave me. Da Kyung argued that she wouldn't, but none of it mattered because I had chosen someone else. She told her everything that was going on with Soohyun. Da Kyung was the initial big mouth, but she didn't tell the press. In fact, she's here with me. She wants to apologize."

Hyun Joon and Hoon looked at Soohyun. She wasn't upset or anything. After a few moments, she nodded. Won motioned to the one guy who was in the room, and he turned to open the door. Da Kyung stepped through the two guys out in the hallway and bowed as soon as she entered the room. Her face changed almost immediately.

"I didn't know it was this bad," she said as she took a seat Won had pulled up for her.

Soohyun shook her head and waved her hand at the same time. "I've been through worse. You should see me when I go through radiation. It's a whole new ball game."

Da Kyung leaned forward. "May I?"

She motioned to the pink beanie Soohyun was wearing. The other woman nodded and Da Kyung gently pulled the beanie off her head. With a trembling hand, she ran her fingers over the smooth flesh that resided there.

"I'm so sorry. I never understood what he was doing. I made you out to be the person who disrupted my marriage plans," she said.

"Maybe if you weren't such a butthead, he wouldn't have reacted that way. He had already made plans to marry you, but in your mind he was being unfaithful when he was just helping a sick friend. I don't blame you though. I would have done the same thing after I made sure the woman wasn't sick," Soohyun said. She gently pushed her hand away and pulled the beanie back on. "What are you going to do about the news?"

"There's not much we can do," Won said.

"Actually there is. You two can reconcile and get the wedding back on track. I won't be here so you won't have to worry about it."

The CEO frowned and looked at the other two men. Their faces were shut down so he wasn't going to get anything from them. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going back to France. The prognosis is I'm going to have to have a bone marrow transplant. One of my friends I went to culinary school with is a match and she's volunteered to be a donor. It's going to take a few years to recover and Paris has one of the best hospitals. I'll be in good hands."

"When did you make this decision?"

"She made it a while ago," Hoon explained. "She always said that if it came back and she had to have a bone marrow transplant that she would move back. We've always known and we never fought it. One of us will go with her. It's going to be a long road again, but we're all ready for it."

"But you don't even have the prognosis," Da Kyung argued.

Soohyun smiled at her. "I've been doing this a long time that I know. It was the last step. We always thought chemo and radiation would get rid of it then the medication would fight off the rest. But it's much stronger now. Chemo has helped but I'll need a transplant to fight it all together."

"Aren't you afraid?" Soohyun shook her head, and Da Kyung's mouth dropped. "How? How can you not be scared? I would be terrified."

"I'm not scared to die if this doesn't work out. I've had a fun life. Plus I have friends and family who care about me enough to be scared for me. I don't have any regrets. It's the perfect way to live. Although I still want to go to Disney World."

That got a laugh out of everyone. By the time it was all dying down, Dr. Kang returned. He looked at the two guards outside then made an "interesting" face. He looked around the room at the five people. Six if you counted the guard.

"Are you already making plans?" he asked amused.

"I have to. If I don't, they will make the decision for me, and I can't have that," Soohyun said. "When are your daughters coming? Every time I'm in the hospital they always bring me goodies."

Dr. Kang raised an eyebrow. "You don't care about what's coming up next? All you care about is food?"

"I have to have priorities." Her smile mirrored the doctor's. "It's a transplant isn't it?"

The man nodded. "Yes, and I hate how you do that. I've already alerted Dr. Lafayette and your friend. They will see you in two weeks. It will give you time to get everything situated and ready to leave. I have to say, I'm going to miss seeing you every month. Our conversations are always interesting."

Hoon laughed. "Your conversations always center around new recipes for your daughters to try."

"Hush, kid. And I know how you can get there for absolutely nothing."

"We're already on that same thought track," Hyun Joon said. He looked pointedly at his boss. "You, sir, are paying for two first class tickets to Paris. If you argue, I will post your bare ass all over the internet."

Won pointed at his assistant. "I told you to delete that."

"Why would I do that when I knew it would come in handy for me? You get to see my sister off, and I get to watch you squirm as you pay 1, 200, 000 Won for plane tickets (roughly two thousand dollars if Google is correct)." Hyun Joon smiled as Won tsked at him with an attractive scowl.

"I'll pay half," Da Kyung volunteered. She took Soohyun's hand. "It's the least I could do for making a horrible mistake."

"There's more you could do, but I'll take this," Soohyun replied.

Dr. Kang left them once again and they settled into discussing (more like arguing) which airline would be the cheapest.


	15. Chapter 15

Author's Note: Last chapter! I hope I didn't surprise you too much with the last chapter. This was the way it had to end for the final chapter to work out. I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have been writing. It may take some time to figure out a new story. I may have to watch a new drama and fall in love with it. Don't expect anything new until after Christmas. Feel free to PM me if you have questions or comments or a new story idea.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a good time with family and friends and you eat a lot. I know I will. I hope you do great things in the New Year as well. Love you all.

(&(&(&(&(&(&(&(&*&(&

Six years later

Won stood in the party at Zeus Hotel and wondered what the hell had happened that he had been conned into doing this. It was his brother's wedding and he was supposed to emcee the event but Jo Myeong Su had stolen the show. He was recounting how the relationship between Kim Tan and Cha Eun Sang had been a crazy yet interesting one. He was secretly happy the man hadn't been his emcee at his wedding.

Married five and a half years, Won and Kang Da Kyung had changed their ways as soon as they had gotten married. They had decided to live together and try to love each other no matter how crazy the other was. Won had made amends with Da Kyung's father and had his vote back to keep the younger man in the CEO's position. He had also apologized to the nation for being a butthead (Hyun Joon's phrasing) to the woman with whom he had been photographed. He hadn't said her name but he had been sincere. The stocks had risen because of it.

Soohyun had left for France nearly six and a half years ago. Hyun Joon had kept him apprised on all of the things that happened to his sister. She had had the bone marrow transplant and had a long recovery process. It had taken nearly two years to fully recover and become an active part of society again. The last picture he had seen was of Soohyun and a couple of kids sitting in a children's hospital. She had been wearing one of the beanies he had sent her.

Almost three years ago Lee Hyun Myeon, Hyun Joon and Soohyun's father, passed away from dementia. As far as he knew, Soohyun hadn't been able to travel for the funeral because she had been sick. He had gone to pay his respects to the man who had raised two wonderful kids alone for nearly twenty years. He hadn't said anything about Soohyun being absent but she had text him a thank you for going.

After that, they had lost contact. Neither one had dared to call the other. There was no rhyme or reason to it. They just hadn't done it. Hyun Joon would tell some off the wall thing his sister had done or about how she had been doing, but the two hadn't said a word to each other since she had left.

Six months ago, Won and Da Kyung had welcomed a baby girl into their family and had name her Soohyun after their friend. She seemed to have the same mannerisms as their friend as well. Won had sent a picture to Soohyun but hadn't received a letter in reply. He had figured she had just forgotten all about him.

But the most curious thing had been when the woman hadn't showed up for her own brother's wedding a year ago. Hyun Joon had met and married Jeon Hyeon Joo, which had surprised even Won. The last he remembered Hyun Joon and Hyeon Joo had hated each other because it had been really easy to mix up their names. Now they were married with a kid on the way. The world was really small.

Da Kyung tapped him on the arm and handed him their daughter before she got up. The little girl laughed then grabbed the lapels of his jacket before she started sucking on her hand. This was the life of a father. He always had what he termed baby goo on his clothes from where Soohyun would either suck on her hand or on his clothing. She used to spit up all the time but that had since passed since they had changed her formula.

If he was completely honest, he loved married life and loved being a father. They were the two biggest joys in his life so far. He would do anything for Da Kyung and their daughter. That had even extended into his work life. He had taken Jeguk Group into a new direction so the new the generation would have something good to look forward to.

Myeong Su wrapped up his emceeing responsibilities as the wedding ceremony ended. Now it was time for the food. Zeus Hotel had being contracted to cater the wedding reception but it wasn't the same. Soohyun wasn't behind all the food that was coming out. Everyone knew the food wasn't bad but they couldn't deny that Soohyun was the best chef Zeus Hotel had ever employed.

Tan and Eun Sang sat at the head table between their mothers. Ki Ae had convinced the Kim sons' father to return from his most recent adventure in Tibet and he sat beside her. Those two had gotten married nearly two years ago and were finally happy together. Kim Nam Yoon had finally become the gentle man everyone had said he had been before he had taken over the company.

Won looked over at his brother's friends. They had all come out for the wedding, even Rachel Yoo who was Tan's ex-fiancé. She hadn't officially given her his blessing but she wasn't the conniving bitch she used to be. She was sitting by Lee Hyo Shin as the older guy tried to hit on her like usual. Lee Bo Na and Yoon Chan Young were still together and doing their best to keep their eyes on the happy couple while being all lovey dovey themselves. Kang Ye Seul sat beside Choi Young Do and they talked in a friendly manner. Everyone that had graduated from Jeguk High School with the couple was in attendance and they seemed happy.

A couple tables over was Hyun Joon and Hyeon Joo. Tan had invited Hyun Joon after the man had kicked his butt in video games. They had formed an interesting bond that superseded anything anyone else said about them. They had lunch once a week. It had been Hyun Joon that had helped plan this wedding.

"Won, look at the fourth table in the back, behind Hyun Joon," Da Kyung said as she returned.

Doing as she said, Won did his best to see through the crowds of people milling about. Finally he got a good look at the last table and his mouth dropped open. He got up and caught Hyun Joon's attention. The man looked back where his boss motioned and smiled. The man had known!

He crossed the room swiftly, Da Kyung trailing behind him and their daughter. She was just as giddy as he was becoming. When he looked at his other side, he saw Tan with him. Apparently the groom had seen them just as everyone else had.

"Noona!" he said as soon as they got near the table. The woman looked up and smiled.

Soohyun was gorgeous. Dressed in a light blue dress, she all but glowed as she sat at the table. Her hair had grown back and was curled softly around her face. She had removed her blue contacts to show her doe brown eyes. She was so different than she had been when she had lived her six years ago.

Beside her was Jeon Hoon Jin which really wasn't surprising. Hoon had been her best friend for years. It would make since that he would be with her when she returned for the wedding. What didn't make sense were the two children sitting on their laps. Two little boys ate bits of the food before them.

It took way too long for Won to understand. Hyun Joon had to explain it to him as he came up.

"Do you remember when I left for an extended weekend a few years ago?" he asked. Won looked at him and nodded. "It was to go to their wedding. They finally decided to get married in a small ceremony. These are their sons Nam Joon and Tae Hyung."

Tan started laughing. "Did you really name them after two members from BTS?"

Hoon laughed. "It was Dr. Kang's daughters' idea. They tried to get us to name them after the guys from Shinhwa but we vetoed that." He looked at Won. "It's good to see you again, Hyung. I see you're doing well too."

Won adjusted Soohyun on his shoulder and nodded. "I think I did all right. I'm glad you two are happy. But the looming question is what happened to you? How are you doing?"

Soohyun and Hoon looked at each other as their kids tried to wrestle each other. Something passed between the two of them that no one else could read. This had always been the case when sitting with the two of them.

"After nearly five years of battling, I am cancer free," she said.

That was the happiest news, even happier than the wedding. Tan grabbed her from behind and hugged her tightly. Da Kyung laughed as happy tears nearly fell down her face. This was something they all had worried over the six years she was gone. Now they didn't have to because the bone marrow transplant had worked.

With little Soohyun propped on his hip, Won extended his hand to the grown Soohyun and the son she held on her lap. She stood and music started playing. Leave it to Myeong Su to have everything ready for a happy occasion. Hoon took Da Kyung's hand and led her to the dance floor. They danced as if this would be their last time to do so. But it wasn't a bad thing. It was a very happy occasion.

THE END


End file.
